


2016 Asami's Birthday Celebration

by ladyfeather



Series: Fills to Prompts/Memes [6]
Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Genre: M/M, Yamane Ayano
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2016-09-12
Packaged: 2018-08-12 07:18:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7925626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyfeather/pseuds/ladyfeather
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Asami's Birthday Celebration<br/>Week One - and must use the following words: Summer, Red, Yoh, Air</p><p><b>Disclaimer:</b> All recognizable characters belong to Yamane Ayano. She very graciously allows us to play with them.<br/>Club Sion hosted a celebration for Asami's birthday [August 4th]. Icons, banners, artwork, or stories were all acceptable entries. This is my contribution.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Loose Lips Sink Ships

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Krambi003](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krambi003/gifts).



Asami was in a very foul mood and Kirishima didn't have a clue as to what was wrong. He himself had been exceedingly busy the past two weeks preparing the reports for the major stockholder meeting that was scheduled in a few days so hadn't been on his toes to watch for any untoward actions. Only events of the past few days had brought the problem to his attention and it seemed to be getting worse. Even with being so busy he knew that business had been quiet, both legal and otherwise, and Takaba had been rather amenable of late so neither of those seemed to be the cause of Asami's bad-tempered actions. Perhaps the summer heat was getting to him, though how it would was a puzzle. With the penthouse, the limousine, and all of Sion air conditioned there were few places where he would even feel the actual temperature of the outside air. Even the underground parking area was always much cooler than that of the outside.

When he had asked Asami if there was something that was bothering him Asami nearly bit his head off. Apologizing profusely Kirishima quickly exited the main office to seek shelter in his own. But on second thought as he left Asami's office he detoured to Suoh's office slightly further down the hall to see if maybe he knew what was going wrong.

Suoh nodded affirmative when asked if he knew anything and motioned for Kirishima to take a seat. "I didn't bother you since there was nothing definite and you have your hands full with the upcoming meeting."

He offered Kirishima some tea, which he accepted gratefully, then poured a cup for himself. "One of our men spotted Yoh arriving at Narita a few days ago. He came in on a regular flight, not on one of Fei's private jets. It looked like he was coming in to avoid being noticed and he had little luggage - it was only by chance he got spotted. If Katayama hadn't personally known Yoh he would have gotten through without being noticed, but they know each other from years back. Plus he had traveled with Asami on a few of his Hong Kong trips to Baishe Headquarters and had knowledge of Yoh's ranking within Fei's organization."

Kirishima's brow creased. Was Fei up to something? Fei had been in several meetings with Mikhail lately; could they be planning something? Normally Yoh traveled in one of Fei's private planes when he visited Japan so the use of a commercial airline was at least slightly suspicious. Asami didn't normally monitor the commercial airline passenger lists unless there was trouble brewing somewhere so it was sheer luck that he had been spotted.

Sipping on his tea Kirishima asked, "Fei's been quiet lately, hasn't he? I know he's had a few meetings lately with Mikhail but nothing of any import seemed to result from them. In fact, it's been quite peaceful between the three of them lately. Did you find anything troubling with the other major triads or any other competitors?"

Suoh shook his head. "Nothing that we know of, but Yoh **is** in Tokyo, staying at the Hotel Park Side near Ueno Park. I've sent a few men down to keep an eye on him in case he is here for unscrupulous reasons. One has even infiltrated the hotel staff. He's booked for checkout in two days and has a flight back to Hong Kong later that same day. The only thing that he's done other than visit the Ritz-Carlton is to visit many of the museums and sights in Ueno Park - just like a normal tourist."

"Sounds like you have all the bases covered. Let's hope it's all for naught." Finishing his tea Kirishima rose to head back to his office but paused. "Akihito hasn't been too much trouble lately, has he?"

Putting down his cup Suoh frowned. "Not that I know of but Asami did ask me about a week ago to check his phone calls and what his schedule had been - mainly who he'd been in contact with recently. I thought it was a bit strange, but then we both know not to question any of Asami's orders. Anyway, there wasn't anything out of the ordinary that we found."

Kirishima nodded knowingly and continued back to his own office. But his mind was on what Suoh had said about having to check Akihito's activities. Had Asami overheard something he didn't like? Is that why he wanted to know where he had been? Had he seen him with someone dangerous? Maybe he should contact Akihito and see if he could find out on his own what was happening. But then that would be interfering in Asami's private affairs that really weren't any of his business. And Asami didn't tolerate anyone messing in his private life, no matter who you were and how concerned you were.

 _A week prior....  
_ Ryuichi awakened from his sleep, very aware of the alluring body that was stretched out next to him. Akihito was still sleeping, one arm draped across his face, protecting his eyes from the encroaching morning sunbeams that were seriously beginning to penetrate the drapery-covered windows. The other was positioned across his naked midriff, his fingers splayed across his chest but twitching, their movement almost unperceivable. His brow was furrowed as if deep in thought, and he was muttering in his sleep. Most of what he said was hard to decipher but now and then a few words were slipping through.

Ryuichi smiled and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. But hearing the mention of his name he turned around to listen to what his lover was mumbling, hoping to hear some loving, or at least complimentary, remarks that he often uttered unknowingly in his sleep.

What he heard was not what he expected. A mumbled 'Asami can't find out' startled him. Not only was his lover keeping secrets but he used his surname, something he hadn't used in quite a while. They had both changed to only using surnames when in public places or around those who weren't privy to their situation.

What wasn't he supposed to know? He was tempted to wake him and ask what he meant but decided to do some investigating on his own first. He had learned his lesson about jumping the gun when it concerned Akihito; it often backfired in his face. An angry Akihito was someone he didn't want to deal with on any basis, and he especially did not want to provoke the manifestation of such a crisis. Akihito could just have had some sort of nightmarish dream or at least he hoped so. Otherwise he was the one who would be dishing out the nightmare.

He left the bed and readied himself for work. His mind was still trying to decipher what Akihito had said in his sleep, but more and more his rationalization was coming up with less than straightforward or acceptable answers. Kirishima was completely immersed in the stockholder reports so he would be of no help in this situation. Once they reached the office he decided to ask Suoh to run a phone check, privately of course, on Akihito's phone usage for the past month and get a detailed list of his whereabouts for the past few weeks from his current bodyguard.

It was just about lunchtime when Suoh arrived with the reports that Asami had requested him to gather. After ordering a lunch from the Sion kitchen he sat and read through the reports. There was absolutely nothing in them out of the ordinary. In the phone report the majority of the calls were to his editor, as expected since that was his profession. The rest were divided between himself, Kou, Takato, and a few to his family and Tao. There was nothing that he didn't expect to find. Maybe it was someone he met? He closed his eyes and tried to push the thought out of his mind as he picked up the second report.

But the same was true with the second report. Each event linked with an assignment he had or with a get-together with his friends or family. No one new, no one suspicious; there was nothing out of the ordinary anywhere. In fact, it seemed like for the past few weeks Akihito had made sure that all his actions were noted up to the last minute of every day. Then what wasn't he supposed to know?

_Back to present...._

It was bad enough that he had concerns with Akihito but to have Yoh show up on his doorstep unannounced was pushing his temper to the limits. Kirishima hadn't made things any better by asking if there was a problem, although he shouldn't blame him, he was just concerned about him. Since nothing had been turned up about Yoh's visit he felt that a call to Fei was in order, and the sooner the better.

The phone only rang twice before Fei picked up. "To what do I owe the pleasure of a private phone call from the Tokyo Kingpin?"

Through the phone line Asami could hear the rustling of papers and picked up a trace of mockery in Fei's words. "Cut the crap Fei. What is Yoh doing in Tokyo?"

With an ill-disguised chuckle Fei replied, "My, my, aren't we the temperamental grouch today? Hasn't Akihito been putting out lately? Someone got blue balls?" Again, a snicker managed to travel through the phone lines.

Asami was quickly becoming even more infuriated, if possible. "What goes on between Akihito and myself is none of your concern, so don't even try to start making up things to amuse yourself. What I want to know is what one of your highest ranking subordinates is doing in my territory unannounced."

The paper rustling began again, followed by a deep sigh. "Oh yes, you want to know about Yoh. I really can't tell you because he's on vacation. He does have a life of his own, not that he often takes time for it. If he wound up in your territory I guess you'll have to ask him. Now if you don't have any other strange questions I do have other more important things to do right now."

Asami was fuming and growled, "Thanks for your help!" before slamming down his phone. Luckily he did otherwise he would have been even more irate by the laughter that came from Fei's end of the line. He'd given up using a cell phone to call competitors since he'd normally wound up breaking it in half after the conversation, although this was the third desk phone he'd had this year.

#=#=#=#=#

Akihito strolled into Kirishima's office with a nervous smile on his face. He knew that Ryuichi was in a two hour meeting with the Sion manager and other supervisors and wouldn't bother Kirishima for a while unless he needed additional information. With a quick look around he stated, "I need a favor from you, but it has to be kept a secret from Ryuichi. Are you OK with that?"

Kirishima should have known that any distress felt by his boss would more than likely be created by the young man standing in front of him. "It would depend on why it has to be kept secret. I have great respect for Asami-sama and will not be a party to injuring him in any way, even emotionally."

Akihito shook his head violently in negation. "No, no, it's not anything to hurt him. We're planning a surprise birthday party for him but I'll need your help, and probably Suoh's too. Will you help me?"

Kirishima breathed a sigh of relief. If this was what Asami had gotten a hint of, that Akihito was planning something behind his back, of course it would bother him to the point of doing some investigating. Even more so if he hadn't a clue as to what was being planned. Knowing Asami's mind he could imagine the cruel and hurtful paths his thoughts might have taken - the man was a major part of the underworld so there was little he wouldn't imagine. And a birthday party was one of those unimagined paths.

"What kind of help do you need? And who else is involved; you said 'we'." Kirishima shuddered inwardly feeling that there may be something more to this party than meets the eye. "No, wait. Let me call Suoh in here first, then we can talk."

It only took a few minutes for Kirishima to return with Suoh in tow. Both took seats across from Akihito and waited for him to continue the story.

"As I was about to say before, we're organizing a high class party for him at one of the local hotels. Yoh is here to make the arrangements for the reservations...."

"You have been in touch with Yoh? That's why he's here?" Kirishima was stunned by the ease with which Akihito had mentioned that Yoh was handling the party.

Suoh listened patiently then uttered, "Ah, so you **are** the reason for his odd behavior lately."

Akihito looked confused. "What do you mean, his odd behavior?"

Berating himself for allowing such a damning statement to slip he decided that the truth was the wiser choice right now. Asami may be difficult but Akihito was devilishly sneaky in his revenge.

"He had me check your phone records and track your movements for the past three weeks." He couldn't allow his eyes to meet with Akihito's; he knew the outrage that would radiate from them. "Evidently he thought that you had done something but we found nothing that appeased his concern."

Akihito took several deep breaths to control his anger at this point. "We've all been careful with our plans. Could Yoh's appearance have caused this?"

"No, he ordered this before Yoh arrived. By the way, how did you contact him? Your phone records didn't show any foreign calls other than to Tao. Did he work as an intermediary?"

Akihito began to laugh. "You don't think that I'd use my own phone to make plans like this do you? I had Kou pick up a disposable phone for me and we handled everything that way."

With a raised eyebrow Suoh replied, "Don't ever let me underestimate you again. You are quite resourceful when you want to be." Suoh turned to glare at Kirishima who was currently laughing quite heartily. It wasn't often the head of security was outfoxed by an amateur.

"Yeah, but it still doesn't explain what triggered his suspicion. I don't think Fei or Mikhail would have tipped him off." Akihito's thoughts trailed off to ponder where the leak had been.

Both Suoh and Kirishima were shocked by his statement. "You asked Mikhail to come? Are you out of your mind?" Suoh gasped a "You're crazy!" following Kirishima's comment.

Akihito seemed a bit put off by their reaction. "Hey, these guys have been together for years, they do business almost daily. They've been getting along quite well for the past few years and Fei agreed that it would be safe to invite Mikhail. And if Fei says he's OK, then he's OK with me. Anyway this is Ryuichi's 40th birthday and I'm sure the other two would appreciate being able to harass him playfully about it. I know that Fei is looking forward to it. He jumped at the suggestion when I made it. These guys don't have much of a private social life that they can appreciate so maybe a few hours of roasting Asami will give them all a break."

"Only if he doesn't break your neck first. I can imagine how they are looking forward to this; it's not often they are handed Asami to mentally torture. Are you sure you want to do this?" Suoh looked extremely concerned.

"Both of you will be there to keep things under control. Suoh, you watch Mikhail; Kirishima you take Fei, and I'll keep an eye on Ryuichi for signs of trouble. Yoh can help out where needed. Sound like a plan?"

Both men groaned. They knew that the plan was already in motion so there was nothing else they could do but go along with it and minimize the damage.

Kirishima resigned himself to set things in motion. "So how does this plan work? How do we get Asami there?"

Akihito grinned evilly. "That's the beauty of it. Since he already knows about Yoh being here it will add to the suspicion - something that wasn't in the plan but is a good addition. Fei and Mikhail are going to meet in the hotel after making a grand entrance in Tokyo to attract Suoh and his men's attention. Just having the two of them in the same location as Asami will definitely peak his interest as to what they are up to. They will send him an invitation that they wish to meet with him to discuss an important matter. You just need to get him there and keep him from blowing their heads off when he walks in and sees the deception. Yoh and I will be there too to help keep the peace." Lowering his voice he added, "I'll take care of any repercussions when we get home."

Kirishima shrugged his shoulders. "I thought that you'd just have a nice dinner, maybe with your family and friends, to celebrate. I don't think it being his 40th will bother him at all. Until now that is."

Smiling Akihito added, "Oh yeah, we'll have our own little gathering but after the big surprise with Fei and Mikhail. I didn't think it would be safe to put my family in the same room as three of Asia's biggest and most influential underworld leaders."

"Smart boy," Suoh uttered as his phone rang. Needing to take the call privately he excused himself and went back to his office.

"I suppose this is all set for the 4th of August, his actual birthday?" Kirishima was taking out the appointment book and checking the schedule for things already assigned; the stockholder's meeting was August 3rd. Somehow they got lucky and nothing important had been set up; maybe he had subconsciously avoided any major appointments for that day. "It's clear and I'll keep it that way. Are you taking him to dinner the next night? If so I'll keep that open too, although he hasn't been making too many evening appointments lately." Since he had seriously settled down with Akihito even the underworld activities at night had lessened.

Akihito stood to leave. "Thanks Kirishima, and thank Suoh for me too." He waved as he left the office, heading for an assignment he had scheduled for that afternoon. It was nothing too serious, just another crooked politician buying his way into some shady stock deals.

 _Let's just hope everything goes as well as you think it will_ , thought Kirishima as he watched Akihito leave. Now, in addition to finishing the work for the stockholders, he had to worry about a surprise meeting between three major leaders of the Asian underworld. If nothing else, Akihito's enthusiasm and unpredictable actions kept him ever on alert for the unexpected.

#=#=#=#=#

Everything was moving along as planned but Akihito was still concerned as to how Ryuichi had been alerted to something going on behind his back. He thought that he had covered all the bases; he knew that neither Fei nor Mikhail would allow a slip. The two of them were looking forward to being able to corner Asami and lightheartedly teasing him. They also expected retaliation on Asami's part once they hit the magic number of 40. But that still didn't solve how Ryuichi became suspicious.

Akihito had made arrangements with the Sion manager to hold the private 'friends and family' birthday party in one of the private dining rooms. With as far as he had advanced in his photojournalism career this time even he could afford to pay for the room, but the manager insisted that he be given a deep discount. The poor man feared that Asami would fire him if he charged Akihito full price for the occasion. Another thing that Akihito added to his list of things he needed to discuss with Ryuichi.

Asami was in a much better mood. The stockholder's meeting yesterday had been successful; there were no problems and they were quite satisfied with the reports and even more so with the profits for the year. He was feeling quite smug until he received the phone call from Suoh.

"Asami-sama, Fei's private jet has arrived and he has a guest with him." Suoh hoped that he had effectively hidden the quaver in his voice.

Asami wasn't pleased with this information in the slightest. "Have you heard from Fei as to why he is here? And who is his guest?" The irritation was not hidden in his voice.

Suoh braced himself and replied, "He said that he would call you later about that. And his guest is Mikhail. Yoh, Chang, and Mikhail's men Dmitri and Sergi have also accompanied them on the flight." He held the phone away so his panicked breathing wouldn't be heard over the phone.

All Asami replied was, "I see," before he hung up, bringing a bit of relief to Suoh. What did Fei want and why the hell did he bring Mikhail along? Have they been making plans behind his back? Perhaps cutting deals that he's not included in? Or worse, working against him? Things had been going well lately, were they in for a change? His good mood from yesterday melted into some serious concerns.

Asami tried several times in the afternoon to get in touch with Fei, but the man would not answer his phone. Finally around 6:00PM the phone rang; it was Fei. Barely containing his anger Asami answered the phone, barking out, "What are you doing here, and with Mikhail no less? What are you up to?"

A pleasant tinkling laugh came through the phone. "Oh, such suspicions. We're here to have a meeting with you; there are a few things we'd like to discuss. We're in the Presidential Suite at the Ritz-Carlton. Shall we say, um, 8 o'clock? We'll have dinner waiting, so see you then. Oh, and no guns - this is a friendly meeting. We wouldn't want to damage the suite; it's quite beautiful here." Fei then hung up before Asami could even put together a reply or acknowledge the invitation.

He immediately contacted Suoh to see if there had been any activity with Fei and Mikhail since they landed while fighting to control his anger at Fei's effrontery. Suoh said that all they had done was go to the suite at the hotel. There had been no one either coming or going since they arrived.

"Where's Akihito?" Suoh repeated the lie they had agreed on and stated that he had an assignment to cover a political dinner for one of the Diet members. Asami seemed content with the reply but ordered him to add some extra security since Fei and Mikhail were nearby. He had Suoh assign a driver to take him to the Tokyo Hilton for the 8:00 meeting, ordering Suoh to step up security for the evening. Suoh agreed and gratefully hung up the phone.

Kirishima, who had been standing beside Suoh the whole time asked, "Did it work?".

"Perfectly!" Suoh said in a surprised voice. "Shall we let Akihito know and get ourselves ready for a party?"

"Why not? I don't think I'd want to miss this party for any reason. Let's just hope it goes as well as Akihito planned."

#=#=#=#=#

Despite knowing the exact details of what was happening Suoh did assign extra details to be on watch. Even if he was at ease with the events there may be some enemies that also knew of the presence of Fei and Mikhail in Tokyo and might try to take advantage of that fact. Asami had asked for another bodyguard to accompany him to the meeting since he preferred Suoh to handle the extra security and any emergencies that might arise.

It was soon time to leave and find out exactly it was that Fei and Mikhail were up to this time. Asami still hadn't totally calmed down but at least he was more alert than when Fei had first called. He had called Akihito earlier to let him know that he might be late coming home. All that was left was to enter the lion's den.

He stood before the door gathering his thoughts. He had come unarmed but that wasn't important. Since he was such a prominent CEO in Tokyo his bodyguard was allowed to carry a gun. He straightened his tie and knocked on the door.

When the door opened he saw a face he hadn't expected to see; his Akihito stood there dressed in a tuxedo.

Akihito moved toward Ryuichi, took his hands in his, and gave him a sweet kiss right in the doorway and whispered, "Happy Birthday Love".

Suddenly there was applause and catcalls coming from inside the suite and Asami broke the kiss to see who was in the room. He was shocked to see not only Fei, Mikhail and their men but also his two men Suoh and Kirishima standing and applauding his entrance. On Suoh's signal the bodyguard that had accompanied Asami closed the door as he left, leaving the party to begin.

Everyone knew each other; Yoh and Chang had often been partnered with Dmitri and Sergi when Fei and Mikhail met and were old friends. Suoh and Kirishima also knew Dmitri, Sergi and Chang through those same type meetings so there were no strangers in the room. They all offered their congratulations on Asami reaching his 40th birthday and then the jokes began. Of them all, Asami was the oldest, so once the old fart jokes started there was little that was sacred. The feeling in the air was one of friendship, not rivals.

The party continued until the wee hours of the morning. Fei and Mikhail had, of course, brought gifts for Asami. Mikhail brought a case of the best vodka available, legal or otherwise, while Fei brought the finest black silk kimono embroidered with a dragon done in various shades of gold threads. The dragon draped over one shoulder to have its head resting below Asami's left shoulder. Several precious stones were attached, including two smoky topaz gems for eyes. On the right side of the kimono at the hemline there was a smaller dragon done in silver that looked up at the gold dragon. This little dragon had green-gold eyes and strands of gold mixed with the silver of its scales.

Everyone had begun to leave; only Fei and Mikhail were still in the suite. They stated that their men had gone off to ready their rooms but that the Presidential Suite was part of the birthday gift from them. They knew that it would be put to good use just by the interactions of Ryuichi and Akihito they had witnessed during the course of the evening.

Surprisingly there was little mess in the room after hosting a party for ten men. The waiters had cleaned up the remains of the dinner that had been served and had on several occasions replenished the glassware and alcohol in the suite's private bar. After considering this Ryuichi decided that it was time to pay attention to his lover, who had most likely planned this whole event. The room staff could take care of the remaining mess in the morning.

Finally alone Ryuichi took Akihito in his arms and kissed him gently on the forehead.

"I suppose that I have you to thank for this special evening. How did you manage to pull this off so cleverly? I found no traces of your interactions with Fei or Mikhail."

"Yes, Suoh said that you were investigating my actions. How did you know that anything was being planned? We were all very careful about this. Even Suoh and Kirishima didn't know until the last minute." Akihito had a very perplexed look on his face.

Ryuichi smiled around a chuckle. "You told me." Taking Akihito's hand he led him into the bedroom.

Now Akihito was very confused. "What do you mean, I told you?"

Gently pushing him down onto the bed he caressed his cheek and said, "You talk in your sleep."

Akihito blushed the brightest red; he hadn't thought of anything like that, even though he did know that he often muttered in his sleep. But the thought didn't stay in his mind very long since Ryuichi was looking to enjoy his lover as a birthday gift, and he was very willing to oblige.

The tuxedo was soon scattered about the floor, as was the suit that Ryuichi had been wearing. There were loving sounds filling the air, gasps for breath that faded to moans of pleasure. And every so often, in one of two voices, the words 'I love you' floated softly through the night air.


	2. Communication Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters belong to Yamane Ayano. She very graciously allows us to play with them.
> 
> Story is written to include four words: Autumn Brown Tao Fire
> 
> This chapter starts with a more detailed description of Asami's surprise party.

Akihito met with Fei and Mikhail around 7PM, an hour before Ryuichi was scheduled to arrive. He had been in touch with Suoh and was told that both he and Kirishima would be there in about a half hour. A substitute bodyguard had been arranged at Asami's request, a fact that surprised Akihito. He had expected Suoh to be forced to be the bodyguard of the evening. He did manage a laugh when Suoh stated it was because he was supposed to be looking for any evil doings on either Fei's or Mikhail's part.  
  
Fei and Mikhail were busy handling the little details of the party with the hotel waiters and there was nothing that Akihito could do to help. It would be about an hour before Ryuichi would arrive so Akihito decided to take the time to socialize with Fei's and Mikhail's men. Yoh and Chang were like family and he had friendly encounters with Dmitri before but he had only met Sergei a few times, and they had never spoken in depth. Akihito was as wary of Sergei as he was of him; Sergei didn't understand why such a nobody was allowed to attend such a prestigious gathering until Dmitri took him aside and told him of his relationship to Asami.  
  
Dmitri as well as Yoh and Chang aided the conversation since all of them spoke English - with Akihito being the least educated in the language. Akihito was having difficulty with the Russian accent so with the help of Fei's men, the five of them were able to converse fairly well. By the time Suoh and Kirishima arrived they were getting along like long lost friends. Another round of drinks was handed out and a new topic of conversation ensued until it was almost time for Ryuichi to arrive.  
  
Akihito had to hand it to Fei - the man knew how to arrange a party. The Presidential Suite was perfect for private occasions like this; it was designed for this type of situation and set up easily to handle small private and personal meetings. The main room was large enough for them to arrange a semi-formal buffet dinner for the ten of them. The buffet tables were set away from the windows so that when the men sat down at the small tables scattered by the windows they could view the lights of the city while they ate.  
  
The main cuisine was French, a mild change of pace that Akihito noticed as he surveyed the layout of what should be consumed first. The normal tastes for the group varied; while Ryuichi and Akihito were partial to Japanese, Fei preferred Szechwan and Mikhail leaned toward anything European. There were a few dishes that catered to each of the individual tastes so that no one would be completely dissatisfied with the meal. And there was no cake: again, this was one of Fei's touches.  
  
They had just finished making the last of the arrangements on the tables when there was a knock on the door. Suoh nodded to Akihito; a few minutes ago he had received confirmation from the substitute bodyguard that they were on the way up. Akihito moved to the door and opened it, surprising his lover not only with his presence but also by giving him a kiss as a welcome to his very surprising birthday party.  
  
Once inside the room they immediately made short work of the food, which was excellently prepared. While they were filling their plates Ryuichi managed to corner both Fei and Mikhail and congratulated them on actually pulling one over on him. He had not expected something like this when Fei called and suggested the meeting; in fact he felt that perhaps they were scheming against him. Both laughed at him, stating everyone needs to be caught off guard - in a good way - every once in a while.  
  
Once the meal had finished they all moved over to the bar and even there the tastes varied. The hotel kept a good variety stocked so no one was wanting for a favorite alcohol, Fei had made sure of that. Of course there were several excellent brands of Japanese sake in addition to the Scotch, Irish, and American whiskeys and superb Chinese wines. There were also some excellent Russian Vodka varieties so they didn't need to tap the case that Mikhail had gifted to Ryuichi. Although somehow one of the bottles seemed to have a loose cap and the contents were slowly evaporating.  
  
After dinner everyone milled about, not really settling with one person but circulated among all the guests. Akihito took the time to make sure that he had not slighted anyone, especially Fei or Mikhail. Conversing was a bit difficult since Akihito's wasn't anywhere near as skilled in English as the others and their accents that colored the words tended to confuse him. They all seemed to use English with ease as the common language and had no difficulties. But he hadn't been around English speakers very often and had no place to practice his skills.  
  
Things had settled into a pattern and the three leaders were now holding the conversation and controlled the substance. Each had their two most trusted men with them, and they too were fully immersed in the conversation. Every so often one of the men would pull Akihito into the conversation since all were acquainted with him but for the most part they left him alone and he was content to observe the interactions between these nine men. After freshening his drink Akihito had quietly moved off to the side, knowing that he was not quite the same caliber as the others, and just watched and listened to the conversation between three of the most powerful men in Asia and their trusted forces.  
  
He learned a lot from the conversation; much was exposed of the private personalities that were rarely shown to anyone, questions were answered that he could never have asked of any of them. He knew that he was being allowed to witness this because they all trusted him implicitly. He was honored to be included in this sacred group, to be allowed to sit with them and enjoy their stories. They all knew of his initial desire to do criminal photojournalism but they also knew that he was now concentrating on corruption issues of the elected officials, something closer to the problems of the general public that desperately warranted the need to be investigated and exposed. A few times he brushed the boundaries of one or two of the men, but it was rare and easily handled behind the scenes.  
  
The conversation had moved on to telling tales of past experiences, both good and bad. Admittedly a few were a quite unpleasant at best, but considering the line of work that the three were in it was something to be expected. Not all their deals were bouquets of roses. There were quite a few humorous situations that were discussed, and one or two that were just so incredibly strange that he wondered if they were just making things up to test how much he would actually believe.  
  
It was around midnight when Ryuichi got up to go to the bathroom. On the way back he stopped by Akihito's chair and asked him if he was bored yet. He realized that much of the conversation that was taking place had no bearing on Akihito at all, and that he must feel the odd man out.  
  
Akihito smiled at the concern that Ryuichi was showing. "No, I'm fine. I'm just amazed that they trust me enough to relate some of the stories I've heard so far. If I ever repeated some of this...."  
  
Ryuichi reached out to touch Akihito's cheek, giving him a warm smile. "They trust you because I trust you. If there were any doubts in their minds you would not have been invited no matter who you were with, even though you were probably the mastermind of this whole affair." By the look on Akihito's face he knew that he was correct.  
  
Offering his hand he calmly asked Akihito, "Come sit next to me, please? It is my birthday celebration and I would like you next to me."  
  
His gold eyes met hazel and much was passed between them. Akihito took the offered hand and followed Ryuichi to the sofa where he had been sitting by himself. Once they were seated Ryuichi retook Akihito's hand and held it firmly in his own. That was, to a large extent, how they remained for the rest of the evening. To Akihito's relief no one seemed the least bit offended by their display of companionship.  
  
The gathering broke up around 3AM; the subordinates left first, Suoh and Kirishima went to their respective homes while Fei's and Mikhail's men went to secure their boss' hotel accommodations before one returned to escort his personal boss to his room.  
  
After the last time the waiters had restocked the bar Ryuichi had told them not to disturb them until noon the next day. Knowing this he turned to Akihito, took him in his arms, and kissed him gently on the forehead.  
  
"I suppose that I have you to thank for this special evening. How did you manage to pull this off so cleverly? I found no traces of your interactions with Fei or Mikhail."  
  
Looking annoyed Akihito tersely replied, "Yes, Suoh said that you were investigating my actions. How did you know that anything was being planned? We were all very careful about this. Even Suoh and Kirishima didn't know until the last minute." Akihito had a very perplexed look on his face.  
  
Ryuichi smiled around a chuckle. "You told me." Taking Akihito's hand he led him into the bedroom.  
  
Now Akihito was very confused. "What do you mean, I told you?"  
  
Gently pushing him down onto the bed he caressed his cheek and said, "You talk in your sleep."  
  
Ignoring the reddened face of his lover he continued, peppering Akihito's face with soft kisses as he spoke. "We're finally alone <kiss> and won't be bothered until later tomorrow <kiss>. We're in a beautiful suite <kiss> courtesy of my two business associates <kiss> and it's my birthday evening <kiss>. I want to celebrate <kiss> in the bedroom <kiss> with my lover <kiss>. Shall we? <kiss> "  
  
Akihito finally moved a bit so he could see his lover's face. "I love you." And began returning the kisses and teasing his fingers along Ryuichi's neck and ears.  
  
Between loving caresses and leisurely kisses Ryuichi muttered, "You didn't get drunk tonight, I'm surprised."  
  
"With the company I was in I didn't think it would go over too well. I do think of your position every now and then you know."  
  
"Thank you, and that's good to know. At least now I know that you will thoroughly enjoy our evening in bed. I won't have to worry about you forgetting what we did."  
  
Akihito snorted. "The only time I don't remember is when I'm passed out. And I'm not passed out. Now are you going to do anything other than talk big boy?"  
  
Akihito smiled at the leer Ryuichi gave him. "I'm going to do something all right, and you definitely won't forget it." He moved his hands to another sensitive spot on Akihito and was rewarded with a squeal. The action was repeated over and over until all that was heard was gasping for air and Akihito begging Ryuichi for more. By the time the sun rose Akihito was hoarse and Ryuichi was sated - at least for a while.  
  
#=#=#=#=#  
  
Akihito awoke late the next morning surprised to find Ryuichi still in the bed. The man usually got up hours before him, leaving him to wake to a cold bed and occasionally a note as to when he'd be home. He wasn't going to waste this golden opportunity.  
  
He snuggled as close as he could and began nuzzling Ryuichi's neck when he felt the strong arms move to entrap him in their grasp. He all but purred at the tenderness of the hold and maneuvered one thigh between Ryuichi's legs, and made sure that the friction hit the proper target. The gentle return thrusts were proof enough that Ryuichi was just as eager for some morning loving as he was.  
  
"You're awake and ready for me?" the low baritone voice rumbled in his ear, followed by a slow lick up the side of his neck. The vibrations his voice caused a most delicious moan to escape Akihito's lips; Ryuichi made sure to savor all of it and cause a few more to break the silence before stepping up the attack on his lover's body. Soon all that was heard was sweet moans and pants and whispers of I love you from both parties.  
  
Once the lovemaking had abated they didn't immediately leave the bed. They rarely spent time in bed talking, and today seemed like the perfect day to do so; they could pretend to be a normal couple for a few hours. Neither had anything on their schedules since Kirishima had taken care of Ryuichi's appointments and Akihito had taken the two days off as vacation. After discussing a whole lot of absolutely mundane topics Akihito reminded Ryuichi of the dinner party at Sion with Akihito's friends and family that evening.  
  
Ryuichi wouldn't admit it but he did appreciate being able to sit with them and enjoy a meal; even to just talk and relax with them was something he valued. He felt that they were a second family to him; none of them wanted anything from him; they were all like Akihito. They chose their friends by who they were, not by what they had, and even though his profession was something they did not approve of, he had worked his way into a corner of their hearts due to Akihito and his love for the man.  
  
Luckily the next day was the start of the weekend otherwise Akihito would have been going out on assignment with the world's greatest hangover. They had been at Sion until almost dawn. Akihito's parents had left at a respectable hour [well before midnight] so the rest of them moved the party to the main dance floor, where Kou immediately went on the hunt for a dance partner or two. Takato and his wife took advantage of the night out and enjoyed the amenities of the club since it was a treat they themselves could not afford. Especially since tonight the tab was on Akihito. Akihito wanted to hire a sitter for them but they assured him that grandma was overjoyed to have the kids to herself.  
  
Being the owner of the club Ryuichi tended to stay seated at the table with Akihito. There was a bit of wandering hands and fingers under the table but they kept it fairly respectable. That's not to say they didn't sneak off to the darker hallways for a bit of serious cuddling now and then; they both had limits that were letting them know that just a touch or two wouldn't do.  
  
Ryuichi had been watching the two friends enjoying themselves and suggested to Akihito that they head for home, where they could better take pleasure in this birthday celebration. That was all it took to convince Akihito; he was starting to feel the alcohol he had consumed and was hoping to leave soon. After informing his friends that he was calling it an evening he met Ryuichi at the back entrance and they headed for the limo.  
  
His tolerance to alcohol had improved but once he tasted the champagne he couldn't seem to stop filling his glass _just one more time_. He tried to stay with just beer once they hit the dance floor but the damage had already been done. Ryuichi had his hands full with a giggly Akihito in the limo, and even more so when he tried to get him to stand up in the elevator.  
  
A rubbery-legged Akihito staggered into the penthouse with Ryuichi's help. There was no way he could even get in the door on his own, much less make it to bed. Ryuichi sighed as he tossed his lover over his shoulder and carried him to the bed, carefully undressing him and covering him with the sheets. He had fallen asleep as they entered the bedroom and when he was this drunk there was no way to awaken him.  
  
Giving Akihito another glance Ryuichi moved to the bath to take a shower before getting himself to bed. What he had hoped to be an entertaining evening had fizzled. He should know better than to allow Akihito free rein on alcoholic drinks. _Maybe he'll be sober enough in the morning to go a few rounds; too bad if he isn't_.  
  
#=#=#=#=#  
  
The brilliant colors of the autumn forest had faded to a monotonous brown, signaling the oncoming winter weather. The only color he saw outside was a brilliant red bird in one of the bare trees. Everything looked cold. Even though he had built a fire in the fireplace when he first got here he felt a chill run through his body. The forecast was for snow and Akihito hoped it would; a blanket of white would hide the desolation of the bland scenery.  
  
He had come to the cabin to finish an assignment that he had been working on for months. All the stakeouts and investigating had produced the results he needed to expose another corrupt politician. He had already given most of the information to Kuroda so he could begin proceedings against the man. Kuroda was just waiting for the publication of the exposé to have him arrested at the same time as it hit the press. The article was sent so he had nothing else to do.  
  
Ryuichi was away for two weeks for several meetings in South America and he was lonely. That was another reason why he was here. Once he finished the write-up there was a lull in his assignments and he didn't want to spend the time dwelling on the absence of his lover. Despite the changes that Akihito had made the penthouse radiated too much of Ryuichi's personality - the cabin was more equally theirs. He could tolerate the separation better here; the memories here were more varied, and there were other things to do and even some interesting places to photograph - even if they were colorless.  
  
He hadn't really done much photography here at the end of the year. Their first year-end holiday, when Ryuichi had given him the cabin, was mostly spent inside. Most of his photos from the cabin area were of spring or summer and he only had a few of autumn in full color.  
  
Sitting at his computer he pulled up his last photos from the cabin. He hadn't sorted them out yet and he had some that he wanted to send to Tao. With a glance at the time he realized that Tao was probably home doing his homework. He decided to Skype him; they hadn't talked in a while and that would keep his mind off his loneliness.  
  
It seemed that he had just touched the call button when Tao's anxious voice filled the room as his happy face filled the computer screen. "Akihito! What a surprise! We haven't talked in weeks! What's up?"  
  
Akihito was always amazed by Tao's exuberance; he always seemed to be in a good mood. Smiling back he said, "I'm at the cabin and going through the last pictures I took while here at the end of summer. I've got a bunch that I wanted to send to you. The scenery here is pretty bland right now but I'll see if I can get something interesting for you, OK?"  
  
You could hear the excitement in Tao's voice. "That'd be great! I put up some new pix for you to check out too. School's been my main effort right now but it should get easier in a few weeks, as we head into the holiday season. Then I'll be able to go out and spend some time trying out new settings on the camera."  
  
Akihito opened a window to view the new pictures that Tao had put on their private site. He didn't quite hold in a giggle when he saw the one photo that Tao had taken of Fei while he was sleeping. The beautiful ice dragon was quite disheveled and nowhere as elegant as he normally looked.  
  
"How much trouble did you get in for that picture of Fei? I'm surprised that you still have your camera."  
  
In an awkward tone Tao replied, "Um, he doesn't know that I took it. Yoh found out and I had to give him a copy, but you're the only other one that's seen it. I thought that you might like it since it's so unlike Fei-sama."  
  
Akihito smiled. "Yeah, it's similar to the one I gave you of Asami sleeping with the bunny. Now we both have damaging pictures of our loved ones." _Not that they'll do us any good,_ Akihito thought.  
  
They spent most of an hour talking, first about the photos that Tao took and then just about things in general. After the call ended Akihito realized something that totally eluded him before - he spoke English with Tao, a middle school student, who could speak better English than he did. He could tell that Tao would often rephrase things in a simpler form so he could understand. And after the difficulties at Ryuichi's birthday party maybe it was time for him to take some classes to correct the problem. He should have paid more attention when he was in high school.  
  
He did a quick check on the Internet and found a few sites that had online courses; for him this would be the best. If he only had time at 4AM he could still do the lesson; if he took physical classes he would be stuck with a set time that he had to be there. With his schedule that just wouldn't work.  
  
He spent the next week determining what he was lacking and studying the areas that needed strengthening. Even he could tell that he had made progress in his knowledge of the foreign language. It would take a bit longer but he could see that just a few hours a week could make a big difference in his communication skills.  
  
When Ryuichi returned to Japan Akihito had an assignment that kept him from meeting him at the airport. He did call him and welcome him back but also let him know that he would be able to get home early enough to make dinner.  
  
When he arrived home Ryuichi was in the living room going over the daily papers that he had missed while he was gone. To him it was important to keep up on all the current events in Tokyo. There was a lot one could miss over a two-week period.  
  
As they sat down to enjoy the delicious meal that he had made Akihito decided to try out his new language skills. "I hope that you had a pleasant stay in South America. Did all your business deals go well"?  
  
A raised eyebrow preceded Ryuichi's reply. "English?"  
  
Switching back to Japanese Akihito replied, "Yeah. I've been bothered by my lack of skill, especially since your party with Fei and Mikhail. Everybody had to help me keep track of what was being discussed."  
  
"That was months ago, and it still bothers you?" Ryuichi put down his chopsticks and turned his attention to Akihito. "You didn't do badly and no one held it against you; English is not the easiest language to master. I was very pleased with your knowledge of the language. I do know that the Russians tend to garble some of the words, and sometimes even I have difficulty understanding them. You shouldn't feel bad about that at all."  
  
Akihito was surprised by Ryuichi's last comment. "I didn't notice that. Maybe it's because you are so controlled all the time that even things like that don't seem out of place."  
  
"Well, I have been speaking it for a bit longer than you so there are less occasions for me to be stumped. I can normally figure out what they are saying without having to ask them to repeat. And if I do have to ask I word it that it doesn't seem like I misunderstood or didn't understand at all. It all falls under diplomacy and tact."  
  
Akihito nodded. "Yeah, diplomacy and tact are the two staples of good business practices. I bet they helped get you as far as you have."  
  
Picking up his chopsticks to continue eating Ryuichi smugly replied, "Yes, that and a very well armed and equipped army of minions behind me."  
  
Akihito closed his eyes, put his hands over his ears, and shook his head. "I didn't hear that. Finish your dinner before it gets cold."  
  
With a quiet laugh Ryuichi added, "We can speak English during dinner if you wish. That way I can help point out what you need to learn. The vocabulary is the hardest since they have 20 words for every one we have, but each has a slightly different meaning. And that all their rules have way too many exceptions."  
  
Akihito laughed. "Um, I know. I'm taking some online courses to aid my studies. I bought a new English dictionary that targets troublesome vocabulary. It's helped but there is so much to learn and memorize...."  
  
"For now just stop worrying and eat YOUR dinner. The rice IS getting cold. We can discuss this later. Right now I want to eat dinner with you, whom I haven't seen for two weeks, and then I want us to get reacquainted in the bath before continuing in the bedroom. I've missed you in more ways than one." Ryuichi's golden eyes held Akihito's hazel ones in a fixed gaze.  
  
Akihito smiled knowingly. "Pass the rice, please."

 


	3. Affairs of the Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 3- Asami Birthday Celebration
> 
> **Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters belong to Yamane Ayano. She very graciously allows us to play with them.  
>  Story is written to include four words: Winter Blue Feilong Wood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have absolutely nothing against the Korean people; everyone should be able to be free. But bad guys are bad guys, no matter what nationality, and it is a problem in Japan at the moment.

 

Asami stood at the window in his office, arms folded across his chest, looking out but seeing little. The winter weather reflected his mood; the grey of the pending snow storm outside echoed the feelings and concern he had after reading the latest Intel report that Suoh and Kirishima had supplied.

Things on the underground scene were slowly becoming unsettled. Since the change in leadership in Northern Korea there had been a slow but steady influx of disheartened ex-patriots into Japan, as was happening among other Asian nations. While many just tried to blend in with the general populace and enjoy a peaceful life there were an increasing number becoming nothing but nuisance street gangs; punks only looking for a higher niche than they deserved. Japan seemed to have a higher percentage of this group, even higher than that of China.

A few had managed to gain a bit of a foothold and were now making moves on some of the established routines in Tokyo, much to the underworld’s leaders dismay. A little success had gone to their heads and they now started to exert pressure that was being felt by the ranking powers of Underworld Tokyo. It was only a matter of time before a meeting would be called by those who held the most influence, and he knew that he would be one of the first invited. Not just for his ranking but for his exceptional record of keeping riff-raff at bay. His forces were some of the best, even when compared with those of the highest-ranking Yakuza groups. Everyone knew that Asami ran a tight ship with an extraordinarily loyal crew.

It would be comparatively easy to eradicate this bothersome vermin, but it had to be done in an approved manner - no survivors or loose ends, just swift, clean, multiple assaults with no tip-off or forewarning. Nothing should be left to even hint at the perpetrators; all alibis must be firmly in place before the first move is made. All in all it would be a lot of tedious work just to eliminate a few worthless cockroaches that didn't know their place.

He had already assembled some strategies and plans of attack and readied them to be set in motion but would wait until the meeting was arranged to give the final call. He didn't want to be accused of trying to prove he was the kingpin of Tokyo, even if he was. He had traced several of the groups that were hitting some of his smaller business locales and causing a lot of consternation for his trusted brokers. These small dealers were just as important as his major contacts he held with outside countries.

He also had information on a few of the groups targeting the weaker Yakuza groups, and had already passed it on to them. Several were surprised that he had gotten such detailed information; evidently they didn't understand the Sion Corporation's ways of gathering needed information. If they were smart they too would be finalizing plans to crush the pests rather than waiting until the meeting is called to start planning. Asami never attended a meeting without having a full agenda of his proposed actions.

He turned from the window now that the snowflakes were beginning to fall; soon the city would be covered in a thin layer of white, hiding the dirt for a few hours before the sun would melt the deception away. He smiled as he sank into his comfortable desk chair, remembering the many times that Akihito also sat in this chair, usually on top of him, only to have his thoughts disrupted by the desk phone ringing. Kirishima didn't handle this line; very few had this number; it was the Asian Underground equivalent of the hotline between the Kremlin and the Pentagon, commonly known as the 'red phone'. Could things possibly be getting worse?

The caller ID read Feilong Liu; this came as a complete surprise to him. He had just spoken with him last week and nothing was amiss at that point in time, so he quickly picked up the phone.

"Fei, good afternoon. Is there a problem? You don't often call on this line." And it was the truth. The only times he had ever used the line was when he needed to visit Asami in person for various reasons or something had come up to threaten either one or the other of them.

Fei's clear voice answered, "I have a problem, more of a personal one, but one that I need your assistance on. I cannot and will not discuss it on the phone. When and where can you meet with me? The sooner the better."

Ryuichi heard the seriousness in Fei's voice and knew that it was urgent. "I've got some spare time over the next few days; when would you prefer?"

"I can get to Narita by midnight, Yoh and Chang will accompany me. That is if you will be able to see me that late?"

"Certainly. Do you need a ride from Narita? We can meet at Sion. Or would you rather that I meet you at the airport?" Ryuichi was concerned; with that short a time interval there must be something very wrong.

Fei let out a deep breath in relief. "A limo would be nice. I don't relish a round trip in that short a time. It will give them time to refuel and service the jet and me time to unwind; I'll arrange a hotel in Tokyo."

Ryuichi interrupted. "Don't bother; I can make the arrangements for your hotel stay. I'll see you around 1AM or so then, weather permitting."

"Thanks Ryuichi, it's very important and I appreciate this, especially on such short notice," and he hung up.

Ryuichi stared at the phone, trying to come up with what type of problem would force Fei to rush to Tokyo. If he figured correctly, at that time of night the trip from the airport would probably take little over an hour. That is if his flight had no difficulties. Using a private jet did solve a lot of airport woes but you can't always count on that being true. And he had more than enough extra paperwork to keep him busy until Fei showed up.

There was one phone call that he needed to make, and right away. Akihito expected him home for a late dinner and they were planning a comfortable evening at home - alone. He'd better give him a call and let him know dinner was fine but he would have to leave again. He hated running out on him; he knew that Akihito expected to be cornered by him in the bedroom or the bath and then spend some quality time together. As he thought about it he figured that they could get in a bath and a quickie after dinner, he could catch a quick nap, and get back to Sion well before 1AM.

Although he didn't admit it, even he had been looking forward to spending some private time alone with Akihito. But with the unease about the Korean gangs they hadn't been spending much time together lately, and he had cautioned Akihito to watch his step. The gang's actions had been catching the eye of the press and were now becoming a news item almost daily. Akihito had been interviewing the victims and witnesses from the latest attacks so he was considered a prime target in Ryuichi's eyes. These low-life gangs did not discriminate as to whom they would attack or what damage they would do. There were several deaths already from some of the run-ins and the tally was slowly beginning to rise.

After he called Akihito and explained the situation he made reservations for Fei and his men at one of the closest hotels. It would be a short drive from Sion to the hotel and if Fei was as tense as he thought, a short trip to a 5 star hotel wouldn't add to his stress. And if Fei was stressed there was little doubt that Yoh and Chang weren't far behind.

#=#=#=#=#

Dinner was good but dessert was better. They were still in bed, snuggled together, both in need of a shower but really not caring at the moment. Ryuichi wondered how he had ever existed without Akihito. How many times had he been there to help him lower his stress levels? How had he ever handled it before? When did he become this domesticated? He looked at Akihito, now sleeping in his arms. With a whispered, "Thank you," and a kiss on the forehead he left the bed to take his shower; he had just enough time to make it back to Sion by 12:30. He would have to come up with a way to make up for this truncated evening.

He rode down the elevator to his private parking area and found one of his bodyguards holding the door open to the limousine that was waiting. His chauffeur for the evening informed him that Feilong Liu would arrive around 1:30AM. The snow had let up earlier in the evening and the traffic at this hour was light, making the trip more time efficient. Asami nodded and read through some messages that had accumulated on his phone while he was being so lovingly entertained. One surprised him; it was from Mikhail and brief - 'call me when Fei arrives'. Suddenly this problem of Fei's was becoming even more interesting; what could cause even Mikhail to be involved? He would find out in less than an hour.

He had left a few minor things to take care of while he waited for Fei, but his mind wouldn't concentrate on anything other than what the impending dilemma could be. He had just finished up on one batch of leftover paperwork when the guard announced Fei and his men's arrival. Tomorrow he would have Kirishima check what paperwork he had finished; he couldn't guarantee that it was done properly, which was very unlike him.

Fei entered the office, followed by Yoh and Chang. He rarely went anywhere without either one or both of them. Fei carried a briefcase while the other two each carried a small valise, most likely changes of shirts and underwear for the three of them tomorrow. The hotel would take care of their suits for them.

Ryuichi offered the three men to help themselves to the bar before he motioned for them to seat themselves. Fei looked tense, something he rarely allowed to show.

"I see you arrived safely. Was the ride here satisfactory?" He took in the body language of both Yoh and Chang; they too showed signs of extreme stress. Something was definitely wrong. But rather than press the issue he would wait for Fei to start the conversation. But he would mention Mikhail's message.

"While you were on your way here I got a message from Mikhail. He wants to be called when you arrive. Does he have something to do with your dilemma?" He watched Fei's reaction.

"Yes, he does, as do you. We are all mixed up in this but only as third parties to one of our allies who's being targeted by the newly formed Korean problem here in Tokyo."

That surprised Ryuichi. He hadn't thought of a scenario that would include himself in the problem. And to hear that it involved the Koreans, the group that he was intensely investigating. He moved to his desk and reached for the phone. The call was made and Ryuichi asked if he had Mikhail's permission to put the call on speakerphone. He agreed and once the pleasantries were exchanged Fei went right to the point of the meeting.

"We have an ally, Jian Li Zhang, who keeps watch on certain sectors of our major trade routes. Mikhail and I use his organization regularly and even some of your goods travel that specific route occasionally, also under his watchful eye. He's an old friend of mine and I trust him unconditionally."

Mikhail's deep voice sounded in the room. "I too trust him; we've been working together a bit longer than Fei. He's very straightforward; his family, on the other hand, is what is causing this problem."

Fei nodded. "Yes, that is only the beginning of the problem. I first became involved when his daughter Alexandria ran away. She is 19 and a bit of a wild card. She'd had an argument with her mother and took off for Tokyo, where she is now. For as flighty as she appears she knows that her father is looking for her. Any time she encounters or sees anyone of Chinese nationality she bolts. She was staying at a hotel for several days before she caught sight of several of her father's men. She left the hotel one morning and hasn't returned yet. They're still looking for her."

Ryuichi looked a bit annoyed. "So you want my assistance in finding this runaway? I'm pretty sure your Japanese nationals could find her fast enough." He walked over to the bar to refresh his drink.

Mikhail once again joined the conversation. "The problem is now a bit more complicated. There is a Korean group that is looking for some sort of leverage to tap into our trade routes and try to take over some of our business; they know of Zhang's part in our distribution. This is where the Koreans that are now pestering you come in - they are part of this group. And they know that Alexandria is in Tokyo, and are looking for her to get that leverage.

Ryuichi frowned. "I see. If they can get leverage over Zhang to disrupt us, or worse, help steal our goods on a regular basis, we would have the beginnings of a bloody confrontation. I don't think those Koreans understand the combined strength that they are threatening. Do you know where this group is located?"

Fei replied, "No. They don't seem to have a set location right now, and they seem to be purposely scattered into numerous groups, which is making tracking them all but impossible. I know that your sources are capable of finding them, possibly you've even have more detailed information on them. But we must find the girl first."

Fei opened his briefcase and took out a folder, handing it to Ryuichi. "This is all the reliable information we have on the Koreans and a dossier on Alexandria."

For the next few minutes the room was silent as Ryuichi did a quick read-through of the Korean file. "Yes, this is basically the same information we have. I'll check with Suoh to see if there is additional data we can add to this. And the girl shouldn't be too hard to find with her blonde hair and European looks. Is Zhang really her father?"

Mikhail answered that. "Yes, but she takes after her mother who is Russian, and a beauty at that. But her physical looks are where the prettiness ends. She's a shallow person who has an arrogant personality that will turn anyone away. Supposedly she can trace her ancestry to some royalty in Russia's past and lets everyone know about it. In one way I pity Zhang but in another I wonder how he could have been so easily seduced by that bitch."

"That's probably why the daughter ran away. The other two kids don't seem to mind their mother's attitude." Fei's tone indicated that he too held little concern for the mother.

A concerned look took over Ryuichi's face. "This is the current location of the girl?"

"As far as we can tell, but we can't seem to get close enough to capture her. We've tried on several occasions but for some reason she seemed to know that she was being watched and disappeared into a nearby crowd. And she seems to be a bit more tense than usual; maybe it's because of her father's men trailing after her?"

Ryuichi shook his head. "Possibly, but this is very near an area that the Koreans have been causing trouble. It may be that they have spotted her and are trying to capture her too. We have to get to her fast, before something happens to her. And I think I have just the person to do this; he seems to enjoy rushing into dangerous situations totally unprepared and I know he'll offer to help."

The smirk on Ryuichi's lips told Fei all he needed to know. "You're going to send Akihito after her?"

The look on Ryuichi's face showed his amazement that Fei could even think to question his course of action. "Can you think of anyone better? He isn't Chinese, and although he's Japanese his personal looks belie that fact. He'd most likely be seen as a kindred spirit by Alexandria. And I can track him and keep him safe. Can you argue the logic?"

Mikhail's laughter filled the room. "You two are really in cahoots anymore, aren't you? Your little photographer has finally become one of your henchmen! Ahh, and I can think of a few other times that you've used him to further your plans, you sneaky bastard."

Ryuichi scowled. "Best to keep your opinions to yourself. Anyway, Akihito has been doing interviews in that area due to the recent gang activity and is in a good position to be able to spot her - that is if she hasn't moved to another location. Even if I wasn't involved, you have to agree that someone like him has the best chance of making and keeping contact with her."

Fei hid a snicker at Mikhail's comment and Ryuichi's terse reply.

For the two hours all five men jointly discussed a plan to eliminate their Korean threat in Tokyo. But they all knew that first Akihito had to get the girl to a safe place where they could return her to China. Once there they would allow her to make the decision herself whether to return to her family or find a new home elsewhere. They would deal with the minor problem of Zhang and his wife later.

#=#=#=#=#

Ryuichi waited until Akihito woke the next morning before going to bed. He had taken the folder home with him to show Akihito the young girl he was to look for in his travels through the neighborhoods he was investigating.

Akihito woke to the smell of fresh coffee and omelets. When he entered the kitchen Ryuichi was seated at the table with the newspaper open and a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Good morning Akihito. Sorry for leaving while you were asleep but I didn't want to wake you only to leave you alone. It's better to be fully rested when you get angry; you have more energy to expend."

"No, I'm not angry. You did say it was just a quickie." He sat at the table, gathering several of the small omelets to his plate and accepting the coffee that Ryuichi had just poured for him. "So how did the meeting with Fei go? Everything OK now?"

Ryuichi shrugged as he returned to his seat. "Yes and no. I need to ask a favor of you."

"Anything that I'd likely want to do?"

"I don't think so. We need to find a missing girl who's here in Tokyo. Her last location was in the area where you are doing your interviews. We just want you to find her and get her somewhere safe. Even here or Sion would do, just get her off the streets and away from strangers, especially Koreans."

"And you're not going to tell me anymore, are you?"

Ryuichi smirked his usual smirk as he slid over the folder with her picture. "Nope, it's a need to know situation."

He had been on the lookout for any foreign blonde girls in the area most of the day and was about to give up when he saw her, and it looked like she was about to be forcefully dragged to a waiting car. He bolted toward the girl in hopes of releasing her from her attacker's hold; an attacker that looked a lot like one of the Koreans he had been watching the past few days.

Running full speed he advanced on the two and with a yell inserted his elbow in the attacker's face full force. His target faltered and just as he released the girl from his grip two others exited the car and managed to successfully immobilize both him and the girl. Once they had quickly been forced into the back seat with the first attacker the car moved off at high speed.

Akihito was mulling over different ways to escape when he noticed the Korean in the back seat with him now had a gun trained on him, pressed not so nicely into his ribs. The one in the passenger seat had his gun trained on the girl. He slid his hand over the girl's and settled back for the outcome of the ride.

They were in an abandoned warehouse, locked in what seemed to be a janitorial closet. The door had a frosted glass window with embedded wire mesh that allowed a bit of light to enter the room but was too small to be of use. The walls were bare concrete and the wood floor was old and splintering - nothing he could use here. There was a utility sink but nothing else he could see; no light fixtures that he could distinguish in the dimness or any else that might be useful.

The water did work but Akihito didn't see any way to use that to his advantage other than flooding the room. All that would do is bring in their captors while he was still unarmed. He could handle one or two but he was unsure of how many were out there, plus they were armed; the glass on the door didn't allow him any clear view of the outer room.

He knew that Ryuichi would locate them; he had allowed a tracer bug to be placed in his clothing just in case something like this did happen. His hourly call-in had been missed so right now all they can do is wait. He seriously hoped that they hadn't damaged his photographic equipment; he had managed to drag his backpack with him into the car.

He settled on the floor next to Alexandria so he could perhaps calm her a bit. She seemed quite frightened by the whole affair. Wrapping his arms around his knees he asked, "How about we get some introductions out of the way?"

She looked at him, definitely shaken by the recent activities. "Getting to know each other sounds like a good idea while we wait, since we have no idea how long they are going to keep us here, or why. My name is Alexandria Zhang. Thank you for at least trying to save me."

Smiling he replied, " Don't ask how I know but we will be rescued from here, and it won't take too long. And I usually have better luck rescuing damsels in distress. Guess I'll have to train a little harder from now on."

She let slip a little laugh. "We all have bad days so don't get upset."

He offered his hand and shook hers. "I'm Akihito Takaba, an investigative reporter/photographer for the Tokyo Times. I've been doing interviews about recent gang activities in the area where we were kidnapped and I believe our kidnappers are part of that gang. Do you have any idea why they would be after you?"

She stayed silent for a few minutes then finally spoke. "I ran away from home but I don't think that's the reason for my - er, I mean our, kidnapping. My father works with the Chinese triads, guarding some of their trade routes from attack. That's about the only reason I can come up with for targeting me. Maybe someone wants revenge on my father?"

So that's why Fei was involved! All he had been told was to find this girl before the Koreans did. "Why did you run away, that is if you don't mind me asking?" Now he was getting quite curious about this girl.

She let out an exasperated sigh. "My mom's a fruitcake. She's Russian and it seems somewhere way in the past of her ancestry she found that there is some royalty and insists that she is one of the blue bloods, the true rulers of Russia. She wasn't too bad at first, but as I've gotten older she's gotten more caught up in the fact that she's one of Russia's lost royalty."

Akihito smiled. "I can see how living with that all the time would be reason enough to leave. Didn't you have anyone, a friend or schoolmate, that you could have gone to?"

She shook her head no. "We aren't allowed to associate with such low level commoners. We went to private schools and even those students weren't high enough level for her to consider respectable people for us to befriend. Even our names link back to that supposed royal connection. My older brother is Nicholas and my younger sister is Anastasia. Once he graduated college Nicholas moved out so he just ignores her but my sister is getting as bad as she is. She's only 12 so to her this is fairy princess tale material."

"Doesn't your dad do anything about her fantasies, your mother's I mean?"

She snorted. "He's been spending more and more time away from home so he doesn't have to deal with it. I'm just tired of fighting it."

"I've got some Chinese friends that may be able to help you. Once we get out of here I'll start to work on it for you. Maybe even see if we can save your sister from her brainwashing."

Once more she giggled. "You're right, all she's doing is brainwashing us!"

Their conversation continued for another hour or so before there were sounds of a struggle in the distance, followed by several gunshots. Alexandria was startled; she had never been in this type of situation before.

Akihito took her hand, smiled, and said, "It's all right; looks like we're about to be rescued."

She glanced at him in disbelief. How did he know about this? Who is he? Is he a spy for her father? He's definitely not with the Koreans... or is he just a ruse to gain her trust?

Within 15 minutes everything had settled to a dull silence. Akihito could hear the recognizable click of designer loafers on the concrete floor, a low conversation, and then the click of the door lock being opened.

The door opened to a familiar face. "I knew you'd come." Turning to Alexandria he pulled her over to stand in front of Ryuichi. "Asami, meet Alexandria Zhang, a very nice young lady that needs a favor."

As they walked out of the janitor's closet and entered the main room Alexandria froze, her eyes riveted on the tall Chinese man that stood behind the man call Asami.

Since he still held her hand Akihito turned when he felt her tense up. Putting the situation in perspective he spoke. "Alexandria, this is one of the Chinese friends that I mentioned. I guarantee that he will help you with your situation with your father. Don't be afraid of him."

Turning to Fei he motioned for him to come over for introductions.

"Alexandria, this is Feilong Liu..."

"I know who he is," she bristled, "he's one of my father's employers. He's here to take me back home." Tears started to form in her eyes as she broke loose of Akihito's hold, turned and ran, looking for an escape route. But Yoh blocked the only door out of the room. Her eyes had the look of a rabbit trapped by a predator.

Akihito was about to speak when Fei addressed the young lady. "Alexandria, please, I'm here at your father's request, that is true, but I am not to take you back home. I am to take you to one of my safe houses where you can meet with your father and decide your future. He realizes that your mother has gone too far in her ravings and want to make amends with you. He's already made arrangements to move your sister in with another relative, far away from your mother."

Akihito took her by the hand once again and said, "See? I told you he was a friend." Turning to face Ryuichi he happily stated, "Now lets get out of here and go find some decent food. I missed dinner and I'm starved!"

#=#=#=#=#

While Fei was in Tokyo he and his men assisted Ryuichi in cleaning out the group that was harassing their Asian routes. His forces at home had cleaned out quite a few of the radical Koreans in the Hong Kong area and were looking to rout others in the nearby areas. Mikhail was a bit upset that he didn't have a chance to join in the frivolities but nevertheless was pleased with the results. He managed to find a few groups in Eastern Russia that made for some fun extermination.

Ryuichi also impressed upon Fei that he wanted to meet with Jian Li Zhang as soon as possible. He understood that he was closer to Fei than to himself but to go through Fei to ask a favor of him was pure cowardice. He wanted to meet him face to face and see if he could show him a reason to be that spinelessness. Stronger men had acquiesced under Asami's gaze.

It seems that the actions in Tokyo took care of over half of the troublesome groups that had been earmarked for extermination to begin with. Alexandria's spur of the moment decision to run away just expedited the timetable that had been planned. By the time the expected meeting of the ruling powers of Tokyo came to be Asami had cleared a good 60% of the problem. Between the information given to the lesser Yakuza groups and his cleanup with Fei the few remaining groups were running scared. The main Yakuza groups could take care of the rest of the problem themselves; Asami knew that he had dealt with more than his share. He had other more important things to do, like appease his lover.

#=#=#=#=#

"The Ritz-Carlton? Why did you bring me here?" Akihito looked perplexed as they rode the elevator to the Presidential Suite. They had just finished dinner in one of the private dining rooms in the hotel.

"Do you remember the night that damned Korean episode started? That night I had to go back to the office because Fei had a problem?" Ryuichi opened the suite door and encircled Akihito's waist with his arm, pulling him slightly closer as they entered the suite.

Akihito looked up at Ryuichi. "Yeah, I had planned that we would make a full night of it. I woke up only to find the sheets long cold and you long gone." With a sigh he added, "But... you had warned me it was only a quickie."

"Tonight is to make up for that. I owe you one romantic evening alone with your lover, and I want an evening alone with my lover. Is that a good enough reason for you? You seemed to like this place when we stayed here for my birthday."

Smiling brightly Akihito pressed himself closer to Ryuichi. "That was an evening I'll never forget, for several reasons. You showed your trust in me and you showed me how much you loved me. And I love you for that."

He pressed his lips to Ryuichi's, lightly at first, but slowly deepening the kiss until both were absorbed into the intimacy of the kiss.

Akihito backed off a bit. "That was nice. But can we just sit and talk for a bit? We haven't had much time for anything lately, and I know that you get just as stressed as I do. I think we need to just be together for a bit, don't you?"

Ryuichi smiled. He knew that they needed some close time too, even if they didn't say much. Just being together felt calm and relaxed. "How about we sit by the windows; the snow has started again and it's starting to cover."

As they moved toward the sofa Akihito commented, "It must be pretty at the cabin. It snows much heavier and more often than it does in Tokyo."

"Should I have taken you there?" Ryuichi queried as he moved off to get them each a drink.

"No, here is fine. You can take me to the cabin for my birthday. I'll make sure that I'm not volunteered for any Golden Week assignments like last year. The weather will have broken by then and it will be a different type of beautiful there." He turned just as Ryuichi was about to hand him his drink. "Thanks."

The two settled on the couch, discussing nothing in particular but enjoying each other's company for the next hour or so. The conversation was interspersed with loving touches and kisses which soon became more frequent than the conversation.

Little time after that found Akihito on his back being sweetly molested by Ryuichi, and the treatment was being returned equally. Finally Akihito couldn't take any more and suggested that they take a shower and move the action to the very comfortable bed. The sofa was cramping his style.

The shower was more touching and kissing, but they both kept the arousal under control. Once they hit the bed though it was a different story. All the pent up emotions since their last curtailed lovemaking session flooded through them both with a vengeance. The morning found both covered with an impressive assortment of love bites and kisses that they hadn't worn in quite a while. Both men were a bit achy, prompting Akihito to tease Ryuichi that he was getting too old for this intense a workout. That only provoked another round of intense sex that wore them out even further.

Once they woke again Ryuichi ordered breakfast while Akihito attended to the daily bathroom chores and took a shower; Ryuichi came in after ordering to join Akihito in the shower. They each helped the other clean with a few side trips into teasing and pleasuring, but decided to curtail their activities since breakfast was about to arrive and after all that exertion both were rather hungry.

"So, what are we doing today?" Akihito asked as he stuffed the last bite of waffles in his mouth. "All I have is to finish writing up the events that happened the past week - the Korean gangland murders. You guys really did set that up well, making it look like they did each other in."

Ryuichi smiled. "That's what planning ahead will do for you. I had most of this laid out before Fei arrived with his little problem. I have nothing on my schedule and Kirishima hasn't interrupted us with any emergency so the day is ours to do with as we please."

They discussed doing different things but one after another was voted down and they finally just agreed to spend some time together. Akihito would have liked to have gone to the pool but with the state his body was in it would be rather embarrassing. Plus they hadn't any swimsuits with them.

A bit later Ryuichi said that they were going to the pool. Akihito questioned his judgment until he realized that somehow he had managed to close the pool to other guests for the next hour. Never underestimate the power of a billionaire. Or his money.

At least it was only an hour; one hour of skinny-dipping with Ryuichi would be all he could handle.

 


	4. Life's Little Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 4 of Asami's Birthday Celebration.  
> Story is written to include four words: Spring Green Akihito Fire  
> Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to Yamane Ayano. She very graciously allows us to play with them.

The winter wore on into the beginning of February; the weather was unsettled more often than not, and even the winter lovers were looking forward to spring and the warmer temperatures it would bring. Once again it was snowing, hopefully the last snow of winter, but it still didn't change the fact that Akihito had a stakeout tonight.

The snow made things more difficult. The snow made the shadows brighter, making it harder to blend in with the scenery when outdoors. He'd just have to make sure that he chose a well-hidden vantage spot and had hidden his tracks left in the snow otherwise he'd be in deep trouble. The assignment was to catch one of the elder Diet members taking a huge monetary bribe from one of the larger Yakuza groups. Those guys could do some real damage to him if he were caught. The Diet member was so rotten he could be smelled miles away, but no one had any concrete evidence.

He hadn't done a stakeout this chancy in a long while which made him a bit more nervous and concerned as to how well it would go. Ryuichi noticed the tension in his lover and asked what was bothering him. He knew about the upcoming stakeout and wondered if it had to do with his worries.

Akihito hesitated but then decided to be honest with Ryuichi and told him of his concerns. He wasn't sure of the group that the member was meeting with, but most of the feedback that he got from his informers indicated one of the larger groups in Tokyo. Ryuichi's warning bells went off immediately. He tried, unsuccessfully, to get Akihito to let this one ride but Akihito claimed that this was the nail that would put the crooked politician away for good.

He offered to give him a transmitter bug but Akihito refused, saying they may have equipment with them to detect such technology. So all he could do was tell Akihito to be extra careful, because if it was one of the larger Yakuza groups the outcome could be catastrophic for him. _And for me should anything happen to you,_ he shakily thought to himself. He pushed the though away as fast as it had appeared. Akihito went to get ready for the assignment and as soon as Akihito left the room Ryuichi was on the phone to Suoh.

After stressing the urgency of the matter Ryuichi commanded Suoh to place their best surveillance man on Akihito tonight, one that Akihito, or anyone else for that matter, would not be alerted to - his life depended on it. He explained Akihito's assignment and Suoh understood completely and said he would take care of it immediately.

As soon as he hung up he went to the bar and poured himself a drink. Hearing the details of the stakeout had sent an ominous surge through Ryuichi, like the proverbial 'someone walking on your grave' feeling. He truly felt that Akihito was in trouble with this one. He knew he wouldn't feel better until he was home again, safe in his arms.

Akihito was packed up to go on the stakeout, his backpack filled with only the necessary camera equipment he would need. He had his phone with him but it was turned off in case they had equipment that could detect it. He was dressed in lighter colored clothes; the parka reversed to a darker color. He bought it because it would work for light and dark surveillances. He stood at the door ready to leave when Ryuichi came up to him.

"Ryu, I'll be all right, honest. I've done this how many times before?" He could see the concern in his eyes, just as much as Ryuichi could see the unease in Akihito's.

"Any trouble, even the slightest, get out of there and call me for help. I'll be there for you."

Smiling, Akihito replied, "I know you will, but I won't need to; everything will go fine, like usual. Now let me get out of here and find a good hiding spot. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Ryuichi pulled him close, giving him a concerned kiss and a hug. "I know, but still, be careful." He gave Akihito another kiss, which was warmly returned before he left the penthouse.

It was still three hours before the rendezvous; Akihito had a rule to be there at least two hours before the appointed time in case either party sent minions to check out the site beforehand. Ryuichi waited an hour and called Suoh for a report.

"I was just about to call you. I sent Hayakawa to tail Takaba. The guy's part ninja, I swear. He's reported back that Akihito is in place, and very well hidden he added. He's far enough away that he can see the meet area and use a phone without discovery if they have electronic detection so he'll send reports every half hour until the meet; then silence unless there is a problem. If there is he will call here first; is that satisfactory with you?" He agreed and told Suoh to continue with the surveillance plans. With Asami initiating this phone call Suoh realized just how concerned he was with this stakeout and decided that some additional tactics would be valuable.

For the next two hours Ryuichi read reports on his finances, checked the stock market for major changes or new investments, fixed himself a light snack, and just anything to keep his mind off the peril that Akihito might be in. The last report was that the involved parties had arrived; Ryuichi hoped that the next call would be that all went well and Akihito was on his way home.

There was phone silence for the next 20 minutes then the phone rang; Ryuichi's heart skipped a beat. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath he answered, "What's wrong?" Akihito always waited at least a half hour before leaving his hiding spot.

It was Suoh. "Hayakawa just called; all he said was there's trouble and that he's going in."

Ryuichi shuddered. "We know exactly where they are. Get him backup, and send medical assistance too, just in case."

"Already done." There was a pause while Suoh took another call; Ryuichi could hear him talking in the background.

"Hayakawa's almost there but he heard gunshots. I had backup and medical stationed a few blocks away and they are on their way in."

"Smart move." Ryuichi wanted to head to the scene but decided against it. He ended the call; he would wait until there was more information to go on. The next five minutes were the longest in his life. That was when the phone rang again.

It was Suoh, talking faster than normal. We're going to need cleaners. Akihito's been shot; not sure how bad. Hayakawa took out both parties - the Diet member and the two Yakuza at the meet. It looks like they may have been from one of Yamaguchi's clans."

A quick intake of breath was all Suoh heard at first as a reply. "Is the medical team there yet? And how sure is he on the Yakuza group?" If it were the Yamaguchi-gumi he'd have some serious explaining to do; he couldn't care less about the Diet member. "Take the Yakuza bodies to the private morgue. I'll have to deal with that later. Dump the Diet member in the bay." He could hear conversation going on in the background but couldn't make out what was being said.

"The medical team has Akihito and they say he's critically wounded and lost a lot of blood. Looks like three bullets; one in the leg, one in the shoulder, and one that may have pierced a lung. He's on the way to the hospital now. Your surgeon has been alerted and is standing by to receive him."

"I'm on my way; keep me informed." He was already headed down to the garage; he would drive himself rather than waste time waiting for a chauffeur. All he could think of was that he should always go with his gut feeling; he knew this one was wrong from the beginning. Now his Akihito has paid the price, and he just hoped that it wasn't too steep.

By the time Ryuichi had reached the hospital he had decided that Akihito would do no more stakeouts. He could get someone else to do the dirty work. He couldn't curtail him completely, the work he had done so far benefited the city immensely. He had received another award in December, just before the holidays.

He'll just have to be content with directing the show, not acting in it. In his thinking there was no 'if'; he would pull through this - he was a fighter. He didn't dare allow negative thoughts right now; he'd be OK. He'll be home in a few days bitching about having to stay in bed and recuperate. He'd have Kirishima running out to get him boxes of Pocky. Or ordering sushi. Or something else so Akihito-ish.

He parked in his reserved space in the underground lot and took the elevator to the second floor where the surgery rooms and physician offices are. Undoubtedly his doctor would be in the surgery room with Akihito but he would have left someone in his office to wait for his arrival. He would have all the information on Akihito's condition, probably linked electronically to the surgery room itself to stay up-to-date.

He paused to gather his thoughts and calm a bit before rapping on the door and entering. Dr. Uchida was the one who awaited his arrival; he had met him several times and knew him to be as trustworthy as Dr. Sugano. He had the makings for tea set out on the desk and immediately offered some to Asami. He accepted the offer as he tried to read the facial expression on Dr. Uchida. Was he bearing bad news? Good news? Complicated news?

After handing the cup to Asami he motioned him to take a seat. He also sat down, behind the desk, gathering some paperwork that was off to the side.

"I won't sugar-coat this. You're strong enough to take the truth. Takaba is in critical condition but not fatal. He took three bullets at fairly close range. The shoulder wound will be painful until it heals but it is not too serious. The bullet that punctured his lung collapsed it. The good news being nothing else was damaged; the bullet passed straight through. Right now he is in surgery to remove the air that has filled the chest cavity and seal up the wounds." He glanced toward Asami but discerned no change in his emotion.

He continued with the report. "The main damage was done to his leg; the bullet shattered the tibia. We will insert a metal plate to help hold the pieces together until they mend. With the amount of damage to the bone the plate will be permanent. He'll be in a cast for two months at least, with weekly return visits to assure the bone is setting correctly and that he is healing properly. Repairing this break will take several hours of additional surgery and will be started once they have stabilized his lung and chest area."

Looking Asami squarely in the eyes he bluntly said, "Any questions?"

Asami took a breath that he didn't realize he had been holding. "He is in no immediate danger, is that true? The most serious of the wounds is the lung, and that can be taken care of fairly quickly if I recall correctly, usually with a tube to aid the exhaustion of the misplaced trapped air. The leg is serious but it sounds like you will have little problem to  fix it. How long will he be here in the hospital?"

"For safety sake I'd say a week. The chance of infection in any of the wounds is moderate, but when three wounds are involved it is best to err on the safe side." The doctor looked to the side of the desk, evidently checking the monitor that was linked to the surgery room. "They are still working on the lung. Once they have finished it will be another few hours before they have the leg repaired. Your normal waiting room is prepared, or do you wish to return home?"

"How long before he regains consciousness once the surgery is over?" Asami pulled out his phone and checked the messages. It had vibrated several times while speaking with the doctor.

The doctor cocked his head. "I'd say several hours at least, maybe a bit longer if there are adverse reactions to the anesthesia. We didn't see any allergies in his medical history but unexpected things do happen."

A frown had appeared on Asami's face as he read the missed messages. "I have something that I have to take care of right now but I should be done by the time he comes out of surgery. I believe you have my personal number. Please give me a call if there are any changes."

The doctor nodded as Asami stood, placed the untouched cup of tea back on the desk, and left the office. Yes, he had something to do - the Yakuza were from the Yamaguchi-gumi, but one of the lesser branches. The pins in their lapels identified them. That didn't explain their not using silencers; that was an unwritten rule with the Yamaguchi-gumi. But still, apologies were definitely in order.

Once back in his car he made a quick call to Suoh, letting him know the details of Akihito's injuries and asking where Hayakawa was at the moment. Suoh answered that he was with him in the Sion Security Office. He said that he'd be there within a half hour and to make sure that Hayakawa was there too. They had a visit to make to the leader of the Yamaguchi-gumi.

Asami knew exactly where they had to go; he hadn't operated in Tokyo all these years without having had to visit the current leader occasionally. Although the deceased Yakuza were from one of the lower branches within the Yamaguchi-gumi Asami knew that it was the leader that he needed to see. Going to the lesser group head would have been a major insult to the Yamaguchi-gumi leader and possibly a fatal disgrace to himself.

Surprisingly Hayakawa was in the dogeza1 position as soon as he entered the office.

"Get up, it's not me you have to apologize to. You were only doing what you were told to do, nothing more. I thank you for getting there so quickly and rescuing Takaba."

"I realize that but those men were Yamaguchi men." He still remained in the dogeza position.

"And stupid enough to use weapons without silencers when handling a potentially hostile situation. I don't think the leader will be especially pleased with that information, but I still will have to be careful in what I say. Are you ready to leave? I want to get back to the hospital as soon as possible."

They reached the main house for the Yamaguchi-gumi in Tokyo, an imposing specimen of traditional architecture. As if it was known that they were coming, guards greeted them immediately at the entrance and escorted them to the room where visitors were allowed to meet with the leader.

As they entered the room the leader was already there, standing with his arms crossed, waiting for the two men to approach. But once they had come within reach of the leader, both dropped as one to the dogeza position.

In a stern voice the leader spoke, "Asami-san, am I to discern from this that you are responsible for the death of two of my underlings?"

Without shifting his position Asami replied, "Yes Oyaji-san, I ordered my man to protect someone and due to the unexpected actions of your men he was forced to kill them. I have their bodies and wish to return them to you for proper burial. I await your judgment on this incident." Hayakawa remained motionless beside Asami.

"Please rise, both of you. We can discuss this matter over tea. I have a feeling that my men may have given you reason for what happened. You've never been one to kill unnecessarily."

Slowly the two rose and followed the leader to the next room where a table was set for tea. They made sure to go through all the formalities before seating themselves at the table. One error in protocol could put them in a bad situation.

Surprisingly the leader poured the tea for the two men. "We have been associates for many years and I cannot recall any interaction between us that called for dogeza from you. I know what was planned for this evening; can you tell me what actually happened?"

"Takaba is a photojournalist and a associate of mine. He was on assignment to photograph the events this evening in order to take down the Diet member. He had no intention of harming your men other than to use their actions against the Diet member. I suspected that things may not work out well and after unsuccessfully talking Takaba out of it I asked Hayakawa to keep an eye on the meeting and only interfere should something go wrong."

The leader glanced toward Hayakawa who still held the dogeza position; his head bowed, his hands flat on the floor. Turning his attention back to Asami he said, "Continue."

"Hayakawa was in a position to view the events and noticed that your men's attention was directed to where he knew Takaba was and started to move toward the meeting area. Halfway there he heard gunshots and immediately let my security know as he continued to head toward the disturbance. Once he entered the building he could see Takaba on the catwalk above, bleeding, as your men were advancing to where he lie. Hayakawa fired two shots, immediately killing the two men. The Diet member started screaming and making a fuss so he turned and silenced him also."

The leader looked pensive and turned toward Hayakawa. "You say you heard the shots - my men didn't use silencers?"

Hayakawa realized that he was being directly addressed and looked directly at the leader as he replied, "No, they did not Oyaji-san."

Again the leader addressed Hayakawa. "Did you use a silencer?"

"Yes Oyaji-san, it is Asami-sama's standing order that all guns are to be silenced when used. It is a rule that no one disobeys. It means possible termination if you do."

Shifting his gaze back to Asami he replied. "Just two shots? Excellent marksman. Using silencers is also my rule. It seems your man has done me a favor by removing some unnecessary problems in my operation. I will send some men to relieve you of the burden of caring for those two."

Asami thanked him and sent Hayakawa out to retrieve the car. As soon as he left the leader pulled Asami aside and asked, "How is Takaba? I understand he is in surgery at the moment."

"He has several more hours of surgery to go through before they finish. He had a collapsed lung and a shattered tibia. The shoulder wound in comparison is minor but will be painful."

The leader shook his head. "It seems my men couldn't shoot accurately either. Lucky for you or your lover would no longer be alive; he's a very lucky young man. And I do think Hayakawa did me a great favor by ridding me of two ineffective punks."

The leader escorted Asami to the door. "Don't be too concerned about this event. By immediately coming this evening you showed your loyalty and respect to the Yamaguchi-gumi, and that is in your favor. By the way, what did you do with our illustrious Diet member?"

Asami finally smiled for the first time during this meeting. "He's giving the fish heartburn."

The leader laughed. "Good evening, Asami."

Asami returned the greeting and left, breathing a sigh of relief that all had gone well. It didn't surprise him that the surgery was known but the fact that he knew the relationship between Takaba and himself did. He may be the kingpin of Tokyo but he was still under the watchful eye of the Yamaguchi-gumi.

#=#=#=#=#

When Ryuichi returned to the hospital Akihito was finally out of surgery but had just been taken to the private recovery area. Ryuichi was allowed full rein in this section of the hospital; it was his private wing, just for his use. He looked at Akihito; his pale face covered by an oxygen mask and way too many wires and tubes running from machines to various places on his body. Running his hand through Akihito's even messier hair he whispered, "Only you could take on the Yamaguchi-gumi and live."

He sat in a chair next to the bed, determined to be there when Akihito regained consciousness. His greatest fear had materialized; his lover was seriously injured. Even lying there he looked close to death. "No more Akihito, no more," he whispered. "I won't let you do this to yourself, not ever again. You are too important to me."

Before he had entered the room he checked that using his cell phone wouldn't interfere with any of the equipment in use and they said that it would be all right. As he waited he contacted Kirishima for anything that needed to be handled immediately and asked that it and any other paperwork needed be delivered to him at the hospital.

There was a daybed on the far side of the room, away from all the electronics that were helping Akihito heal. Stress and sleep now tugged at Ryuichi; he hadn't slept at all since Akihito left for his assignment. He'd been up for well over 24 hours. The surgery had taken most of the night; the morning light was forcing its way into the room.

As he walked to the daybed he realized that Akihito's boss had not been notified. Taking out his phone he explained the situation to the man and exactly what had happened. He let him know that he was out of surgery and recovering but his ace reporter would be out of action for at least two months. He didn't explain that he had been shot, he just indicated that he had taken a serious fall which severely sprained his shoulder and broke his leg when he landed. The man understood and asked to have Akihito contact him when he was able.

He stretched out on the daybed and it took some time to fall asleep. But as he slept he had nightmares; one so bad it woke him and he had to check that Akihito was alive. Realizing that it was hopeless to try to get any restful sleep he returned to the chair to watch his lover.

A half-hour later Kirishima arrived with a briefcase full of paperwork and some papers that needed to be signed immediately. After signing the papers he thanked Kirishima for the distraction of the paperwork.

Kirishima's eyes strayed to the pale figure in the bed. "It's odd to see him so still. He has more energy than any person that age. Even when he's passed out dead drunk he isn't that still. He will be all right won't he?"

"Yes, he'll recover but it will take time. You can relay this to Suoh too. Let him know that you've seen him and he's mending."

Kirishima agreed, and added, "I'll be going now. I'll take your place at the meeting scheduled for this afternoon; I know that I can effectively handle it for you. I'll let you know how it goes as well, in case there is any deviation from the expected results."

Ryuichi had gone through most of the paperwork when he noticed movement on the bed; Akihito was stirring but not awake. That was a good sign though; he would probably wake in a short while. Dr. Uchida entered and checked Akihito's vital signs. He too had noticed the change in the data being sent from Akihito's body.

After finishing his examination of Akihito he turned to Asami to relate the new information he had. "The effects of the anesthesia are wearing off but he will be drifting in and out of consciousness for the next few hours. You are welcome to wait and there is the daybed should you wish to nap."

Asami smiled weakly. "Sorry Doc, I've already tried that and I don't like the nightmares. I'll stay awake until he wakes, thank you." His gaze drifted from the doctor to Akihito once again.

The doctor understood completely. He knew Asami and Takaba well enough to know the stress that Asami was bearing right now. "Then I'll check on the both of you in an hour or so. Rest if you can." Gathering his clipboard that he had left on the bed he exited the room.

Although he was filled with antibiotics and painkillers Akihito was still in poor shape. It would be weeks before the fire would return to his eyes, the fight starting to boil over to get back to work. But once it returned he would be a handful to control. Ryuichi had to smile at that thought and even looked forward to it. And continued to wait as patiently as he could for him to regain consciousness.

When he finally opened his eyes it was almost noon. The room was bright with sunlight and the shades had been partially closed to keep the excessive glare out. Asami hit the nurse buzzer as he moved to Akihito's side.

Akihito knew he wasn't all right. He didn't hurt but yet he did. He couldn't concentrate on where he was or even why he was here. His nose was working and it smelled like a hospital. Suddenly Ryuichi appeared in his line of sight. That was all he needed right now.

"...chi..." croaked harshly from his lips as he tried to raise his hand to touch his lover, but even that little effort was too much for him to handle. Ryuichi took his hand and kissed it. Knowing that he probably needed some liquid he picked up the cup and held the straw to his mouth. Akihito tried to draw some liquid but lacked the strength, weakly sucking at the straw.

Ryuichi saw the effort it was taking to even try to get a drink and decided to mouth-feed him the water. He was in the midst of this action when the doctor came in.

"Ryuichi, that is enough of that. At least wait until he's gathered a bit more strength!" the doctor called out playfully. "Move over so I can check out his vitals."

Stepping aside he watched as the doctor checked Akihito from top to bottom, examining all the wounds and bandages. "Akihito, do you know where you are?"

Akihito replied with a feeble nod. His eyes were seeking out Ryuichi who was no longer in his field of vision.

"Off-hand I would say that your memory is intact since there are no panic signs from the kiss I interrupted." He glanced toward Asami with a grin.

Flustered, Asami replied, "It wasn't a kiss, I was giving him a drink. He couldn't get the water through the straw!"

The doctor just smiled. The fact that Takaba was awake had revitalized Asami and he was happy to see that. The man had been terribly stressed, to the point that he was ready to prescribe him something to calm him.

"His vitals look good; a few things are out of sync but not excessively so. I don't think he'll stay awake for much longer so I'll leave you two alone. I don't know how much he'll understand if you talk to him; bit I think just seeing that you are here will be best at this point." With a smile he patted Asami on the shoulder and left the room.

It had been several days since he first woke up in the hospital. The doctors had explained what had happened and what he needed to do in terms of therapy to return to normal. His lung was well on the way to being completely mended but his shoulder was another story. If he even moved in the slightest it hurt. The painkillers helped but they didn't relieve all the pain. Somewhere he had read that the shoulder was the safest spot to get shot. Evidently the writer had never experienced being shot.

He was to be released soon and no one was happier about that fact, except maybe Ryuichi. He could see how deeply this incident had hurt him. He had tried to stop him before he left but he brushed him off with an 'I'll be fine." This was not fine, far from it.

"Everything was going fine until something fell over near where I was hidden. One of the men called out for me to show myself. Rather than just stay there and let them find me I revealed myself. As I started to stand up one of them shot me. As I fell I heard them yelling at each other and then another man entered the building. I must have passed out after that; I woke up here looking like a test dummy. What the hell are all these wires for anyway?"

Ryuichi laughed. "To annoy you, of course. I had them add extras so you wouldn't run out of things to complain about."

"So how did I wind up here? Was that third man one of yours?" Akihito had the sneaking suspicion that it was.

"I won't lie to you. He is, and I had him follow you to watch for any signs of trouble. Suoh took it one further and had reinforcements and medical assistance waiting a few blocks away. He knows that when I'm concerned there usually is a good reason. And this time there was one, you."

Akihito looked somber as he digested the information. "How about my cameras? And what happened to the Diet member and the Yakuza?"

"We have your camera equipment; it's stored in your workroom. You can check it out when you get home. The Diet member is on vacation, permanently. Don't ask any more questions about him; you won't like the answers. And the Yakuza situation has been taken care of personally."

Akihito's eyebrows shot up. "Personally?" If Ryuichi had to handle it personally that meant.... "Then they were as high up as you thought? Are all your fingers intact?" Akihito tried to move quickly to sit up but the pain didn't allow it. He very worriedly looked at Ryuichi.

"Holding up both hands so Akihito could see he laughed. "The leader of the Yamaguchi-gumi and I have met several times before. We cannot be called friends but we have trust and faith in each other as far as our dealings with each other go. I don't interfere with business that doesn't concern me, and vice versa. He did say that you were a very lucky young man."

"Lucky? How? I'm laid up in a hospital bed with three gunshot wounds!"

"He said that if it had been any of his skilled men you wouldn't have lived to tell about it. You pointed out henchmen that weren't up to par."

Akihito was unsure whether that was a good thought or not and decided that it didn't need any further consideration. He had seen a slight change in Ryuichi's facial expression, one that bordered on fear that was quickly hidden. Changing the subject he hastily stated, "I guess I don't ask about their fate either, eh?"

Ryuichi smirked. "You're catching on fast. Now, you're being released tomorrow. Have you been informed of what you need to understand before you leave here? If not I'll have the doctor return and go through it again with you."

Akihito pouted, a sign that he was feeling better. "I don't need to be reminded. They even printed out a set of instructions for me to follow. I'm surprised that they haven't given you a copy."

Patting his inside jacket pocket Ryuichi smugly replied, "Who says they didn't?"

#=#=#=#=#

The first week home was one of adjustment. Although the lung had healed the shoulder was still aching if he moved wrong - which he seemed to do quite often when using the crutches. He had finally gotten the hang of using the crutches and was getting around fairly well despite the shoulder. He would be given a walking cast in a few weeks if all goes well.

Bathing was the most difficult of the chores. Ryuichi had to shower him since the shoulder still objected to being used in such a crass way while the leg, well that was still in the 'keep it dry' stage and it couldn't be bent - the cast went above the knee.

He had found his camera in his room and loaded the pictures to his computer. The pictures were perfect but totally useless now. The newspapers were full of speculation of what had happened to the Diet member. At least with his disappearance his office was under intense scrutiny and all sorts of misdoings had surfaced.

He had gone back to work after two weeks but only did mediocre assignments; things that did not necessitate excessive movement. In the meantime Akihito slowly healed. The cast on his leg would come off next week, the beginning of April. He would finally be able to bend his leg! That would be helpful since the showers with Ryuichi had become, at times, sheer torture. To put it bluntly, he was horny. The hand jobs weren't enough. He wanted a full-blown, all-night, perverted romp in bed.

It was finally time to remove the cursed cast. After yet another round of x-rays they decided that it was healed and they began the removal. Akihito was ecstatic. Not only was he itching to have it removed, he was itchy! But when he saw what his leg looked like he cringed; it was white and flaky and didn't look healthy at all. It looked more like an unearthed mummy leg.

The doctor explained it was only because of the cast; no light could get to it nor was it kept clean to remove the dead skin. The main itch was because of the flaking skin. He was assured that after a week or so it would begin looking normal again. He hoped so; all he wanted to do now was to hide it under his jeans. At least it bent now.

By the time he got home Ryuichi was already home. He took off his coat, grabbed Ryuichi by the arm and dragged him into the bedroom. There was no way he was escaping. Akihito had waited weeks to get him in the bed and it was going to be now.

Ryuichi stifled a laugh. His thoughts had run parallel to Akihito's, which was why he was home so early. He couldn't resist teasing Akihito and fired off a few senseless questions. "Are we going to bed early today? I'm really not tired yet. How about we go out for dinner?"

Akihito turned and silenced Ryuichi's mouth with a flaming kiss. When he finally broke the kiss both were breathing quite heavily. "You know you want this as much as I do, now get your clothes off and cooperate!"

"Anything you say Akihito. You know that I'm yours for the taking anytime." But this time Ryuichi took charge and carried Akihito to the bed and began stripping him. He got to the point where he was removing the jeans when he saw the boxers he was wearing and stopped cold.

"I thought that I got rid of all those things!" and he continued removing the jeans. He noticed the whiteness of the leg but said nothing; he was more intent in getting the green camo boxers off Akihito and into the trash.

Akihito laughed as Ryuichi threw the offending underwear across the room. "I'll just get another pair, you know. They're cheap enough that even I can afford them."

"I'd prefer you to go commando. It makes things so much more... interesting."

"Only if you will," and he began to remove Ryuichi's trousers. Their shirts had been taken care of before they hit the bed so all that was left was the trousers. Ryuichi had already stripped Akihito so it was his turn to strip his lover.

As he removed the offending trousers Akihito began leaving kisses down the front of Ryuichi, and soon there were several love bites being left behind. Ryuichi hadn't been still this whole time. He had managed to begin to prepare Akihito for entry. With them not having done any penetration for several months it would be more difficult to enter Akihito.

It didn't take too long for the two of them to connect. It was a bit rough on Akihito but he insisted it was what he wanted. He did loosen up a bit after a few minutes and the lovemaking began in earnest. They continued for several hours, off and on, resting and rutting, enjoying every minute together.

They were both finally sated, at least for the time being and Ryuichi ran his hand over Akihito's leg. Akihito knew he was thinking about what had happened and wanted to tell him that it was all right, he was fine now. No real damage was done; well, his leg was a bit gimpy, but it was still there.

Then Ryuichi uttered the words that started the great debate.

"You're not doing any more stakeouts. You will find someone else to do the dirty work; you can sit back and write up the stories. I won't have you going through experiences like this ever again."

Akihito exploded.

 Akihito looked at Ryuichi in disbelief. "What!?" He stuttered and stammered, trying desperately to get the words out. "Y- you want me to, to just walk away..." He was frantically trying to control himself, his arms waving in the air, his thoughts scrambled as he grasped for how to express his feelings. "... turn my back on **my** career, **my** life, everything I've worked so hard to achieve, just because of this one incident?" He stopped and just stared at Ryuichi, his mouth open, lacking the words to fully express his hurt and anger at the moment.

"NO!" he shrieked. "I won't! I can't! Don't even try to convince me, it won't work!" His body shook, whether in anger or emotional hurt he couldn't tell; both emotions were fighting for control. He bolted from the bed and headed out of the bedroom. There was a futon in his workroom and that was where he was headed; he needed some time to think over just why Ryuichi would suggest such a thing. Locking the door behind him he flung himself into his padded office chair he had by his desk. His head was still reeling from the words Ryuichi had spoken.

 _How long had this been on his mind? Just now? Weeks ago? Since they brought me to the hospital? Why did he bring it up now? Was it because of the condition of my leg that triggered those thoughts in him?_ He slouched forward, elbows propped on his thighs; he braced his head in his hands.

 _I've worked hard; I put everything I had into refocusing my career away from the gangland activities that I really could do little about. I began to concentrate on the government officials and their rampant corruption; things I could do something about. And the work paid off; I have several prestigious awards for what I've done. Awards that I'm proud of; proof that I am making a difference in the world._ _What does he think I should do instead? Report on the local flower show? Do the social club scene highlights? Write up stories about the lifestyles of the rich and famous?_

Suddenly something clicked in his mind. Once he was released from the hospital he had contacted his boss at the paper. He knew that he would need about another week to get in shape to ease back into the flow but the boss was willing to wait and said he had some easy assignments for him until he recovered to his full strength. When he returned to work he found a list of political functions that he was to attend. He was given an assistant who could either take the photos for him or help make it easier for him to maneuver to get the good shots. But for over a month that was all he did. And now that he thought about it his schedule for the next month looked quite the same. Would that change now that the cast is off?

**_Or had Ryuichi made a deal with my boss to keep me away from any kind of stakeout or danger?_ **

It was too late tonight to call his boss but first thing in the morning he would get the record straight. And if he found that Ryuichi had even the slightest part in keeping him away from his chosen career.... He was not giving in, not one inch.

_He says that I can't do the stakeouts anymore, but there have times when he came home smelling of blood and gun powder. He puts himself in more danger than I do. Of all the stakeouts I've done this is the only one that hospitalized me that seriously. All I'd ever gotten up to now were a few scratches, a few cracked ribs - and those usually from a fall - and several broken camera lenses. The broken lenses hurt more than the cracked ribs._

_It wasn't even my fault that I was discovered; it was probably a rat that knocked something over. There were plenty in the building; several had brushed past me while I was waiting. But I knew that the Yakuza would come up to inspect the area so I revealed myself. Could I help it that one of them was trigger-happy?_

He realized that Ryuichi was outside his door, softly calling his name and asking him to come out and talk. His mind was so jumbled that he couldn't even answer, he wouldn't make much sense with the mental state he was in. He just unfolded his futon and curled up on it, hoping that he could get some sleep. Ryuichi remained at the door for almost fifteen minutes before he heard him quietly move away. He stared at the ceiling for a lot longer.

The next day he called his boss. Although it was a weekend he was in the office; to him it was important to orchestrate the movement of the news, from the input of the reporters to the output through the printed newspaper. The man had printer's ink for blood.

Rather than put the man on the spot, he asked why he was still being issued, for lack of a better word, lackluster assignments. He said that he was back to normal and was able to handle the types of assignments he had before.

The boss hemmed and hawed, but finally spilled the beans. "Your friend, the one who first called me about your accident, called and suggested that it would be in your best interest to be kept on less dangerous missions. He said that you were still recuperating and needed a few more months to get your stamina back, especially with your leg still recovering from being shattered."

Akihito didn't need to ask who the friend was; right now he was considered anything but a friend. Putting on a friendly tone he replied that his friend was a worrywart and tended to exaggerate problems. He stressed that he had the doctor's permission to go back to his daily life; and since he knew of Akihito's profession there were no restrictions on activities. Well, other than the 'don't be stupid and jump off a building' restriction.

They talked a bit longer and the boss agreed to look over his assignments and make some adjustments. He also admitted that he missed the reports that he had always handed in. No one else put the power and passion in their work like Akihito did. It would be good to have him back at 100 percent.

After he hung up he was seething. Luckily Ryuichi had already left for a before-hours meeting at Sion and wouldn't be back for a while. Perhaps he could regain some of his composure by then. He didn't relish the idea of running into him while in this mood. It would lead to things being said that would intentionally hurt, and things not necessarily true. Things were a mess as it was; he didn't need to add more fuel to the fire.

He decided to make a simple meal for dinner, but one of Ryuichi's favorites. Maybe they could talk then, over a nice meal in pleasant surroundings. And with a cooler head.

It started out all right, but somewhere around Albuquerque[2] things went haywire. Ryuichi wouldn't give him a solid reason for wanting him to end his stakeouts and refused to change his mind. He would not give in, but neither would Akihito. It was his goal in life and he was good at it. He was making a difference in a lot of people's lives, both good and bad. He was hated by the shifty politicians but loved by the general populace for pointing out the thieves.

Akihito abruptly stood up and grabbed his dirty dishes and took them to the kitchen, hoping to cool down and totally ignoring Ryuichi. Ryuichi followed but left his dishes on the table.

Ryuichi was angry; he grabbed Akihito by the shoulder and spun him around so he could talk to his face, not his back. "I don't care how much you think you're doing good for the little people, you're not going to do it by losing your life for some two-bit crooked politician."

Frustration showed strongly in Akihito's stance. His hands were clenched in fists, arms tense and moving jerkily, his brow furrowed deeply. "Don't you understand Ryuichi? I can no more quit what I am doing than you can. If I asked, would you quit leading the underground businesses? You'd laugh it off as a joke. It's not anywhere on your list of things to accomplish. Well I can't give up my job either, no matter how much you object to it. I like what I'm doing and I'm actually making a difference for the people of Tokyo and Japan."

Akihito moved closer to Ryuichi. "I've been careful, very careful; this was the first time that I've ever been seriously hurt, and you know that. Just one fluke instance is supposed to be the reason for me to curl up and hide for the rest of my life? Not likely Ryuichi. A rat probably did me in; the place was crawling with them. If you want to blame anything blame the rats.

Ryuichi slammed his hands down on the counter, effectively stopping Akihito from leaving the kitchen as he had intended to do. "No Akihito, it's you that doesn't understand! Do you know how I felt? Standing in the living room, phone in hand, waiting for a call to tell me whether I should go to the hospital or the morgue?"

Shocked silence.

Akihito hadn't realized how Ryuichi felt; he had been more concerned with the demand that he stop doing what he loved. The man was a master of hiding his emotions. The most he saw of those emotions was when they were in bed in the throes of ecstasy. That emotion he knew well. But Ryuichi never allowed fear to show, no matter what the cause. He caught a glimpse of concern when he visited the hospital but that was the extent of it. Never before had he seen the deep fear that he saw right now in Ryuichi's eyes.

The air was tense; both men were waiting for a reply from the other. Finally Ryuichi broke the silence. "I think that we should have discussed this long ago. Not just about your job, but how you feel about mine; my involvement in the underworld. I know that you don't approve of some of the things that I'm involved in, but like you said I won't quit."

He reached out and caressed Akihito's neck. "Please, can we sit and discuss this? Let each other know the feelings we've each been hiding from one another? Things will only get worse if we continue like this, and that I don't want to happen. I love you Akihito, and that's why I worry so much."

Akihito looked at Ryuichi with sad eyes. He hadn't thought that he had the same harrowing thoughts that he did. He didn't think that Ryuichi could be that emotional about him.

"You worry about me dying? What about me? After receiving an odd phone call you dash out, only to come back in smelling of blood and gunpowder at odd hours of the morning and truthfully I cannot say I don't know what you were up to. I wonder when you get those late-night odd calls if you will come back. I have more fear of you dying than you do of me, you have a hell of a lot more opportunities. But what can I do? You won't quit the underworld, for various reasons, and I cannot ask you to. So you shouldn't ask that of me." Akihito moved to the dining room and sat at the table again. Ryuichi followed.

"This one episode was a fluke. Usually the Yakuza that are involved are the lesser groups that have little power and are looking for that break to move up the food chain. They aren't affiliated with the Yamaguchi-gumi, or even the lesser groups under them. If I had known that they were the involved group I would have declined the assignment and waited for another chance to catch the Diet member with dirty hands. I'm not stupid; I know that the Yamaguchi-gumi are bad news any way you look at it."

Ryuichi seated himself beside Akihito. "It looks like the two of us have the same dilemma; fearing the untimely death of the other. You never said anything, never let on that you knew or even suspected what I was doing when I went out. I assumed that you figured I'd just go out and rough up a few punks and come home. I didn't realize that you knew the whole story. But then I should have, shouldn't I? You are an ace journalist. I really should have known."

Akihito gave a wry smile. "So I guess that we have to live with that fear since neither of us is going to give an inch. We're the proverbial irresistible force and immovable object. We'll never change."

"We may have to live with it but I for one don't like it."

Akihito took his hand, caressing the back. "Neither do I, so can we put an end to this debate since there is no happy solution?" He looked up at him with sad eyes.

"Can we go back to the beginning and continue what we were enjoying before I spoke out of turn?"

Akihito rose and kissed Ryuichi gently. "Why not?" Taking his hand they walked together to the bedroom.

Things calmed after that. Akihito went back to his stakeouts, although he did sense that Ryuichi was a bit more tense before he would go out on an assignment. Ryuichi would always give Akihito a kiss, even if he was asleep, before he went out on any nighttime raids. They were both learning to take the other person's profession in stride and not panic.

#=#=#=#=#

Spring was starting to get serious; the days were getting longer and warmer, but they hadn't reached the consistently warm stage yet. The days were mostly pleasant but the nights got a bit chilly. Ryuichi had promised around the end of the year festivities that they would go to the cabin for Akihito's birthday.

Since he had gone back to work he threw himself 100 percent into his assignments. He seemed intent to make up for the weeks that he was unable to work. So once his birthday came around the boss told him to get lost for a week. He remembered how hard Akihito had worked the year before and decided he needed a break.

Ryuichi was able to make time to go to the cabin also. He had been siphoning some of his work off to the underlings who would eventually take over certain areas of the businesses. He felt that they had finally gotten enough experience to do the job without causing pandemonium. This also freed up time for him to spend with Akihito, something he was really beginning to enjoy. He still was amazed at how much his life had changed since he accepted his being with Akihito.

It was an hour's drive to the cabin and the conversation was varied. At one point it had managed to center on the events that had put him in the hospital. Akihito still had questions but never had the nerve to ask them. The time seemed right; they had come to an agreement on their disagreements so no new discord should occur.

"Who was the guy that showed up just as I passed out? I know he was one of yours, but whom? I don't remember anything other than that trigger-happy asshole using me as target practice."

Ryuichi answered him without getting upset. "That was Hayakawa, I don't think you ever met him. He's one of the best undercover men I've got; even Suoh praises him highly. Suoh was the one who chose him for the assignment, and he even added extra security and medical assistance that saved your life."

Akihito thought a bit then added, "Maybe I should thank him and Suoh? He did, probably, take care of those Yakuza idiots. And if they were Yamaguchi-gumi why the hell were they such lousy shots? Everybody knows that once the Yamaguchi-gumi take aim you're dead. Are you sure they were Yamaguchi-gumi?"

Ryuichi chuckled. "Yes, the were Yamaguchi-gumi, but from the lower ranks. Even so, that's why I had to apologize to the leader. Once we finished talking he had thanked both Hayakawa and myself for ridding him of useless thugs."

Akihito looked shocked. "You apologized? Like dogeza? Head to the floor?"

Ryuichi nodded and explained calmly. "I may be important in the underworld but I still fall under the control of the Yamaguchi-gumi. Tokyo is their territory; I manage a good part of it, but only as long as they allow it. We all have our bosses."

Akihito said, "I see," and then grew very quiet as he mentally thought through what Ryuichi had just confessed to him. As Ryuichi had once told him, there are things that he was better off not knowing. The ride was silent for the next half hour.

#=#=#=#=#

It was a rather cool early spring day when they arrived so they had started a fire to help heat the cabin rather than turn on the auxiliary heat. It had been on the low; just warm to keep things from freezing. It wasn't long before the area had lost its chill and both were busy either putting things away or in Akihito's case making lunch. He had already stashed his camera equipment safely in the designated dresser in the bedroom; his clothes he would take care of later, when Ryuichi wasn't around.

When he was routing around in the pantry cupboard he saw the bags of marshmallows on the upper shelf. It reminded him of when Fei and Yoh had spent a few days here. He called out to Ryuichi, "Did you ever find out what Fei and Yoh did with all the marshmallows?"

Ryuichi came over and stood by Akihito. "I've made it a rule never to ask about other people's sex lives. One usually learns a lot more than one expects to know. And it's a lot safer." After grabbing a bag of the marshmallows he headed for the fireplace.

The two of them had finished about half the bag of marshmallows, surprising since Ryuichi normally didn't touch anything that sweet. Perhaps the roasting made them less sweet to him, Akihito wasn't sure. But it was nice to sit together doing something as silly as roasting marshmallows.

One thing led to another until Akihito was stretched out on the rug in front of the fireplace. They had been engaging in some minor foreplay before Akihito motioned that he needed to use the bathroom. Ryuichi nodded in understanding and said he would wait for him in the bedroom.

By the time Akihito made it to the bedroom Ryuichi had opened a bottle of champagne and had some soft instrumental music playing in the background. All Akihito could think of was the night they spent in the Ritz-Carlton, for Ryuichi's birthday. That had been one classy night. Ryuichi pulled Akihito to the bed and began making out with him. The kisses were returned as were the loving touches both above and below the belt.

As he started to strip Akihito he was puzzled by the fact that he was giggling. Usually he was gyrating lustfully and impatient to get started, and then he found out why. He was wearing a pair of those damned green camo undies again! A thought struck him and he snatched Akihito's backpack that was placed next to the bed, which he was suddenly trying to grab.

When he opened it he found why he was giggling. Packed away were about a dozen pair of the horrid things. He snatched all of them out of the backpack and took them to the kitchen where he triumphantly tossed them, one by one, into the fire while successfully keeping Akihito from grabbing the ones that weren't burned yet. Frustrated, Akihito watched from behind as Ryuichi corrected what he saw as a major error with his wardrobe.

Turning to face Akihito he smirked and moved toward him. "Now that I've taken care of your wardrobe malfunction you will go commando for the rest of our stay, that is once I get my hands on that last pair." At that Akihito turned and beat feet out of the kitchen. But as luck would have it Ryuichi followed and chased him all the way to the bedroom.

Ryuichi swore that those last pair of horrid green camo undies would meet their predestined fate at his hands. But maybe after a bit of pleasure with the willing form now waiting patiently beneath him.

 

NOTES:

Notes:

[see Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogeza]

[1] Dogeza is the act of kneeling on the ground and touching one's head to the floor in front of another person. It is used to show deference to this person, usually of much higher class, as a deep apology for some wrongdoing.

 

[2] Reference to a Bugs Bunny cartoon where he complains that he should have taken a left turn in Albuquerque.

 


End file.
